Plastics Linked to Arthritis: Common Plastics and Waterproofing Agents linked to Arthritis in Women

plastics linked to arthritis

Plastics linked to arthritis, especially in women was the finding of a recent study.  It seems like everything we touch these days has a plastic component. Even our cans and seemingly paper containers are lined in it. I blogged awhile back that some common chemicals found in these plastics were linked to flipping a switch that can turn stem cells toward fat. That was BPA and BADGE, now two more plastic chemicals have been linked to arthritis (PFOA, PFOS). In a recent US study that reviewed data from the NHANES survey on 4,100 people, exposure to these chemicals was linked in a dose dependent fashion to a higher prevalence of arthritis, especially in women. Women with the highest exposures to PFOA for example had about twice the odds of having osteoarthritis. PFOA and PFOS are industrial chemicals used in numerous applications, including non-stick, stain-resistant, grease proof and waterproofing coatings in consumer products. Here are some specific places that PFOA were found in one study: carpet care liquids, treated upholstery and clothing, treated medical garments, industrial floor wax, and stone, tile, and floor sealants. PFOS is a key ingredient in the Scotchgard fabric protector, impregnation agents that water-proof textiles, paper, and leather. It’s also in waxes, polishes, paints, varnishes and general use cleaning products. This chemical family has previously been linked to health effects potentially relevant to osteoarthritis, including adverse impacts on cartilage repair and inflammatory responses. The upshot? I guess we’ll wait for bigger studies to get done, but in the meantime staying away from these chemicals sounds pretty tough unless you live in a cabin in the deep woods…

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Chris Centeno, MD is a specialist in regenerative medicine and the new field of Interventional Orthopedics. Centeno pioneered orthopedic stem cell procedures in 2005 and is responsible for a large amount of the published research on stem cell use for orthopedic applications. View Profile

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