WEIGHT CHANGE AND CIRCULATING LEVELS OF THE ORGANIC POLLUTANT DDE ACROSS THE LIFE COURSE

Abstract

National surveillance data indicate the US population retains legacy exposure to dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), a breakdown component of the once widely used pesticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT; banned 1972). DDE is lipophilic—preferentially dissolving in fats – and stored in adipocytes where it can remain for decades. However, changes in energy balance may lead to weight loss and release of DDE from adipocytes into circulation, potentially contributing to health problems. Early life exposure to DDE may thus exert a latent effect on health. Using data from 1,129 participants in NHANES (2003–2004), we test the hypotheses that 1) serum DDE will be higher among participants who reported weight loss from the previous year and 2) the association between weight change and serum DDE is modified by age such that weight loss is associated with greater increases in serum DDE among older adults. Regression models accounting for complex survey design indicated that a ten-pound decrease in weight is associated with a 5% (p=0.0101) increase in serum DDE among individuals at the mean sample age (~38 years). However, a Johnson-Neyman probing of the interaction indicated that the association significantly varied by age. Specifically, there was a statistically significant (p<.05) inverse relationship among adults less than 40 years old but a statistically significant positive relationship among adults aged 70 and over. Thus, contrary to expectations, weight loss was associated with increases in serum DDE among younger adults but not older adults. The latent health consequences of lipid soluble compounds may thus be age and energy-balance dependent.