Exposure to organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls, adherence to an ideal cardiovascular health, and arterial stiffness among Chinese adults

This study aimed to assess the relationships between exposure to individual organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and their mixture and arterial stiffness and explore whether adherence to an ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) could mitigate these associations. The cross-sectional study enrolled 1437 Chinese adults between March and May 2019 in Wuhan, China. OCPs and PCBs concentrations were measured using solid phase extraction coupled with gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Arterial stiffness was evaluated by brachial–ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV). CVH was determined by three behavioral and four biological metrics and categorized as ideal, intermediate, and poor CVH. We applied generalized linear model and weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression to evaluate the associations of exposure to individual OCPs or PCBs and their mixture with baPWV, respectively. We found that participants with detectable levels of heptachlor epoxide, PCB-153, and PCB-180 had higher baPWV ( β : 34.25, 95% CI 14.28–54.22; β : 27.64, 95% CI 7.90–47.38; and β : 30.51, 95% CI 10.68–50.35) than those with undetectable levels. In WQS regression, the mixture of OCPs and PCBs was related to a higher baPWV ( β : 24.93, 95% CI 2.70–47.15). Compared with participants with ideal CVH and undetectable OCPs or PCBs levels, those with poor CVH and detectable OCPs or PCBs levels had the highest increase in baPWV (heptachlor epoxide: β : 147.94, 95% CI 112.52–183.55; PCB-153: β : 150.22, 95% CI 115.40–185.04; PCB-180: β : 147.02, 95% CI 111.66–182.38). Our findings suggested that individual OCPs, PCBs, and their mixture exposure were positively associated with arterial stiffness, and adherence to an ideal CVH may mitigate the adverse effect.