scholarly journals Urinary Organophosphate Metabolites and Metabolic Biomarkers of Conventional and Organic Farmers in Thailand

Toxics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 335
Author(s):  
Pornpimol Kongtip ◽  
Noppanun Nankongnab ◽  
Nichcha Kallayanatham ◽  
Jutamanee Chungcharoen ◽  
Chanapa Bumrungchai ◽  
...  

Organophosphate (OP) pesticides are used by most farmers to remove insects and to increase productivity; however, questions remain on the long-term health impacts of their use. This study assessed the relationship between OP biomarker levels and metabolic biomarker parameters. Conventional farmers (n = 213) and organic farmers (n = 225) were recruited, interviewed, and had physical health examinations. Serum glucose and lipid profiles, triglycerides, total cholesterol, high-density lipoproteins (HDL), and low-density lipoproteins (LDL) were measured. The average age, gender, education, and self-reported agricultural work time, work in second jobs, smoking status, alcohol consumption, insecticide use at home, home location near farmlands and years of pesticide use were significantly different between the conventional and organic farmers. The urinary OP metabolite levels were also significantly different between the two groups. With an increase in urinary diethyl phosphate, dimethyl phosphate and dialkyl phosphate metabolites, the total cholesterol, LDL and HDL, were significantly increased for all farmers after controlling for age, gender, alcohol consumption, years of pesticide use, and home location near farmlands. The results are consistent with our previous studies which suggests that pesticide usage, especially organophosphates, may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke among Thai farmers.

Author(s):  
Pornpimol Kongtip ◽  
Noppanun Nankongnab ◽  
Mathuros Tipayamongkholgul ◽  
Ariya Bunngamchairat ◽  
Jutharak Yimsabai ◽  
...  

Pesticide exposure has been implicated as a risk factor for developing a wide range of adverse health issues. Some examples are metabolic syndromes, including diabetes. This study investigated the relationship between current occupational use of pesticides and metabolic and cardiovascular biomarker levels among organic and conventional farmers in Thailand. In total, 436 recruited farmers were divided into two groups: conventional farmers (n = 214) and organic farmers (n = 222). Participants, free of diabetes, were interviewed and submitted to a physical examination. Serum samples were collected for clinical laboratory analyses, i.e., serum glucose and lipid profiles (triglycerides, total cholesterol, high-density lipoproteins, and low-density lipoproteins). Potential risk factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and heavy exercise were significantly different between the two groups. There were significant differences in terms of the years of pesticide use, pesticide use at home, sources of drinking water, and distance between the farmers’ homes and farms between the groups. After adjusting for confounders, current conventional farmers had significantly higher abnormal body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, body fat percentage (% body fat), triglyceride, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein values as compared to organic farmers. Conventional farmers had higher risk of many metabolic and cardiovascular risk factors as compared to organic farmers, putting them at higher risk of metabolic diseases in the future.


Author(s):  
Pornpimol Kongtip ◽  
Noppanun Nankongnab ◽  
Nichcha Kallayanatham ◽  
Ritthirong Pundee ◽  
Jutharak Yimsabai ◽  
...  

The aim of this longitudinal study is to assess how pesticide use may impact metabolic biomarkers by collecting and comparing data from conventional (n = 13) and organic farmers (n = 225) every eight months for four rounds. Farmers were interviewed about family health history, food consumption behaviors, self-reported health problems, agricultural activities, and history of pesticide use. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure and body mass index (BMI) were measured. Blood samples were collected for total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), blood glucose, and triglycerides. A linear mixed model with random intercepts for subjects was used to compare the metabolic biomarkers between conventional and organic farmers and to examine the impact of the number of pesticide spray days for all four rounds after controlling for covariates. The conventional farmers reported using insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides. The marginal means for chemical farmers were significantly higher than organic farmers for total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, glucose, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, BMI, and waist circumference. Increasing the number of days of spraying either insecticides or fungicides was associated with an increase in HDL, LDL, and cholesterol levels. Increasing the number of herbicide spray days was associated with an increase in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and a decrease in BMI. These findings suggest that pesticide-using conventional farmers may be at higher risk of metabolic disease in the future.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Kristensen ◽  
V Rosberg ◽  
J Vishram-Nielsen ◽  
M Pareek ◽  
A Linneberg ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Body composition predicts cardiovascular outcomes, but it is uncertain whether anthropometric measures can replace the more expensive serum total cholesterol for cardiovascular risk stratification in low resource settings. Purpose The purpose of the study was to compare the additive prognostic ability of serum total cholesterol with that of body mass index (BMI), waist/hip ratio (WHR), and estimated fat mass (EFM, calculated using a validated prediction equation), individually and combined. Methods We used data from the MORGAM (MONICA, Risk, Genetics, Archiving, and Monograph) Prospective Cohort Project, an international pooling of cardiovascular cohorts, to determine the relationship between anthropometric measures, serum cholesterol, and cardiovascular events, using multivariable Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis. We further investigated the ability of these measures to enhance prognostication beyond a simpler prediction model, consisting of age, sex, smoking status, systolic blood pressures, and country, using comparison of area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUCROC) derived from binary logistic regression models. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), defined as a composite of death from coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, or stroke. Results The study population consisted of 52,188 apparently healthy subjects (56.3% men) aged 47±12 years ranging from 20 to 84, derived from 37 European cohorts, with baseline between 1982–2002 all followed for 10 years during which MACE occurred in 2465 (4.7%) subjects. All anthropometric measures (BMI: hazard ratio (HR) 1.04 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03–1.05] per kg/m2; WHR: HR 7.5 [4.0–14.0] per unit; EFM: HR 1.02 [1.01–1.02] per kg) as well as serum total cholesterol (HR 1.20 [1.16–1.24] per mmol/l) were significantly associated with MACE (P<0.001 for all), independently of age, sex, smoking status, systolic blood pressures, and country. The addition of serum cholesterol significantly improved the predictive ability of the simple model (AUCROC 0.818 vs. 0.814, P<0.001), as did the combination of WHR, BMI, and EFM (AUCROC 0.817 vs. 0.814, P=0.004). When assessed individually, BMI (AUCROC 0.816 vs. 0.814, P=0.004) and WHR (AUCROC 0.815 vs. 0.814, P=0.02) improved model performance, while EFM narrowly missed significance (AUCROC 0.815 vs. 0.814, P=0.06). There was no significant difference in the predictive ability of a model including serum cholesterol versus that including all three anthropometric measures (AUCROC 0.818 vs. 0.817, P=0.13). The figure shows the pertinent areas under the ROC curve in predicting MACE. Conclusion In this large population-based cohort study, the addition of a combination of anthropometric measures, i.e. BMI, WHR, and EFM, raised the predictive ability of a simple prognostic model comparable to that obtained by the addition of serum total cholesterol. Figure 1 Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 361-370
Author(s):  
Maria Michou ◽  
Demosthenes B. Panagiotakos ◽  
Christos Lionis ◽  
Vassiliki Costarelli

BACKGROUND: Low Health Literacy (HL) and Nutrition Literacy (NL) are associated with serious negative health outcomes. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate certain lifestyle factors and obesity, in relation to HL and NL. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the urban area of the Attica region, in Greece. The sample consisted of 1281 individuals, aged ≥18 years. HL, NL sociodemographic characteristics and lifestyle factors (physical activity, smoking status, alcohol consumption,) were assessed. Mann-Whitney U, the Kruskall Wallis, Pearson chi-square tests and multiple linear regression models were used. RESULTS: Linear regression analysis has shown that smoking, alcohol consumption and physical activity, were associated with HL levels (–1.573 points for ex-smokers in comparison to smokers, p = 0.035, –1.349 points for alcohol consumers in comparison to non-consumers, p = 0.006 and 1.544 points for physically active individuals to non-active, p = 0.001). With respect to NL levels, it was also not associated with any of these factors. Obesity was not associated with HL and NL levels. CONCLUSIONS: Certain lifestyle factors, including physical activity, are predicting factors of HL levels, in Greek adults. The results contribute to the understanding of the relationship between lifestyle factors and HL and should be taken into account when HL policies are designed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Soo-Youn An ◽  
So Young Kim ◽  
Dong Jun Oh ◽  
Chanyang Min ◽  
Songyoung Sim ◽  
...  

Abstract The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationships of smoking, alcohol consumption, and obesity with thyroid cancer in Korean residents. The Korean National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening Cohort includes individuals ≥ 40 years who were assessed from 2002 to 2013. In total, 4977 thyroid cancer participants were matched with respect to age, sex, income, and region of residence with 19,908 controls at a ratio of 1:4. Crude and adjusted (for the Charlson comorbidity index, smoking status, frequency of alcohol consumption, and obesity) odds ratios (ORs) were analyzed using conditional logistic regression analyses. Additionally, 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. The adjusted OR of smoking for thyroid cancer was 0.62 (95% CI 0.54–0.72, P < 0.001), and that of alcohol consumption was 0.83 (95% CI 0.75–0.92, P < 0.001). The adjusted ORs of the BMI categories were 1.13 (95% CI 1.05–1.22, P = 0.002) for obese I, and 1.24 (95% CI 1.04–1.47, P = 0.014) for obese II. The ORs of smoking and alcohol consumption were lower, and those of overweight and obesity were higher in thyroid cancer patients than in individuals in the control group.


Author(s):  
Chika Kondo

In the 1960s-70s, Japan’s teikei movement, also referred to as Japanese community supported agriculture (CSA), emerged as a response to a period marred with multiple food scandals and environmental injustices and resulted in direct partnerships between consumers and organic farmers. Although this movement peaked in the 1990s just as the concept of alternative food networks (AFNs) gained popularity in western countries, little is known about what has happened to teikei today. This paper analyzes how teikei exemplifies diverse economies and explores how the possibilities of noncapitalist economic practice currently exist compared to the founding movement principles. Through case studies of two teikei groups in the Kansai region of Japan that transitioned their leadership to younger generations, I assess how changes made by current generations allow teikei to adapt to challenges that have long plagued the movement, such as the decline of volunteer labor provided by housewives. Drawing on a diverse economies approach, I argue that, despite current members’ detachment from strong activist identities, they sustain their organizations through part-time work, community building, and institutionalizing volunteer labor. The successes and struggles of current teikei groups provide insight into how AFNs seeking to build alternative economies can overcome difficulties that emerge from actualizing diverse economies.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ada Admin ◽  
Wan-Yu Lin ◽  
Yu-Li Liu ◽  
Albert C. Yang ◽  
Shih-Jen Tsai ◽  
...  

The heritability levels of two traits for diabetes diagnosis, fasting serum glucose (FG) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), were estimated to be 51% ~ 62%. Studies have shown that cigarette smoking is a modifiable risk factor for diabetes. It is important to uncover whether smoking may modify the genetic risk of diabetes. This study included a discovery cohort (TWB1) of 25,460 and a replication cohort (TWB2) of 58,774 unrelated Taiwan Biobank subjects. Genetic risk score (GRS) of each TWB2 subject was calculated with weights retrieved from TWB1 analyses. We then assessed the significance of GRS-smoking interactions on FG/HbA1c/diabetes while adjusting for covariates. A total of 5 smoking measurements were investigated respectively, including “active smoking status”, “pack-years”, “years as a smoker”, “packs smoked per day”, and “hours as a passive smoker per week”. Except passive smoking, all smoking measurements were associated with FG/HbA1c/diabetes (<i>P</i> < 0.0033) and were associated with an exacerbation of the genetic risk of FG/HbA1c ( < 0.0033). For example, each 1 standard deviation increase in GRS is associated with a 1.68% higher FG in subjects consuming one more pack of cigarettes per day ( ). Smoking cessation is especially important for people who are more genetically predisposed to diabetes.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 10-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladimir S Vasilenko ◽  
Evgeniya S Semenova ◽  
Yuliya B Semenova

Sports form the metabolic response caused by the body’s adaptation to increased physical stress, which leads to the restructuring of metabolism for energy and plastic maintenance of sport activities. The restructuring of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism is caused primarily by the increasing energy request body, depending on type and intensity of sports activity. In this research blood serum lipids were studied depending on the orientation of the training process. A total of 108 athletes (men and women) aged 15 to 20 years of different sports qualification (I sports category, Candidate Master of Sports and Master of Sports) were examined, and a control group of 28 persons of the same age and gender. Depending of the direction of the training process there were isolated 3 groups: cyclical sport that develops mainly endurance (academic rowing); sports of complex nature (football, volleyball, handball and Nordic combined); and complex coordinated sports (artistic gymnastics). Were studied: total cholesterol, high density lipoproteins, low-density lipoproteins, atherogenic coefficient and triglycerides. The study was conducted in the preparatory period of the training cycle. The research had shown that the level of blood lipids depends on the orientation of training process and sports training. The most marked reduction of total cholesterol and high-density lipoproteins has been observed both in men and women in cyclic kinds of sports, developing mainly stamina that indicates that intense exercise in athletes who train primarily for endurance, cause the connection of lipids to the processes of energy supply of muscle activity.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document