Research results have shown that environmental hormones affect liver diseases in adolescents. Considering that the prevalence of fatty liver among children and adolescents aged 10 to 18 in Korea has significantly increased from 8% to 12% over the past decade, this is a result that should be closely monitored in the country.
Known as ‘immortal plastic’, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a type of plastic compound that do not naturally decompose even after thousands of years and are known to emit toxic chemicals such as environmental hormones. It is known that the toxic substances emitted by PFAS accumulate in the body and can cause various cancers, thyroid diseases, liver diseases, hyperlipidemia, asthma, and reproductive disorders.
The problem is that exposure to PFAS in daily life is too easy. Due to its properties of being resistant to water, oil, and heat, PFAS is widely used in cooking utensils, packaging materials, and household goods. PFAS can often be found in the ingredient lists of shampoos and beauty products.
In this regard, a joint research team from the University of Southern California (USC) and the University of Hawaii announced research results indicating that high blood levels of PFAS can increase the risk of metabolic fatty liver disease in adolescents by up to three times.
The research team tracked the blood PFAS levels and liver fat percentage (the degree of fat accumulation in the liver) of 162 adolescents aged 8 to 13 over approximately six years, finding that when PFAS levels doubled, the risk of fatty liver increased by 2.7 times. This means that the higher the PFAS levels in the blood, the greater the risk of fatty liver in adolescents.
This trend became more pronounced as adolescents approached their late teens. When limited to adolescents aged 15 to 19, the risk of fatty liver increased by up to 3.5 times when PFAS levels doubled.
Even when the research team adjusted for risk factors such as weight and genetic factors related to liver and metabolism, this correlation remained evident.
The research team explained, “The metabolic system of adolescents undergoes significant changes around puberty, and exposure to PFAS during this period can greatly disrupt the body’s balance,” adding, “There is a high possibility that issues arose in the lipid metabolism pathway, such as the accumulation of fat or inflammation.”
However, they also noted, “Since the analysis targeted adolescents with a family history of overweight or high-risk diabetes, it is reasonable to view that PFAS did not solely cause fatty liver but rather exacerbated the fatty liver risk in adolescents who already had weak liver function.”
The results of this study were published in the recent issue of the international journal 《Environmental Research (Environmental Research)》.
