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April 8, 2019

MMC receives $2.2M to study impact of household chemicals on teen obesity

By Staff

Maine Medical Center in Portland has received $2.2 million from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to study whether certain chemicals commonly found in household items may be contributing to obesity in teenagers and potentially make those teens more susceptible to osteoporosis later in life.

The study looks at the impact of perfluroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and phthalates on about 500 teenagers who have been enrolled since birth in Project Viva, a research study of mothers and children in Eastern Massachusetts.

PFAS are synthetic chemicals added to clothing, furniture and carpets to make the items non-stick and stain-repellent. Phthalates are added to personal care products such as shampoos and lotions to retain scents. They’re also used to improve flexibility in plastics. Studies in animals suggest that these classes of chemicals may disrupt common biological pathways to increase the risk of both high body fat and low bone mineral density.

“Adolescence is an important time when our bodies build up both bone and fat,” said principal investigator Dr. Abby Fleisch, a pediatric endocrinologist at MMC, faculty scientist at the Maine Medical Center Research Institute and an assistant professor at Tufts University School of Medicine. “Few human studies have looked at how these chemicals in our environment could be impacting our fat accumulation and the health of our bones.”

The study will test for PFAS in samples of the teens’ blood and for phthalates in their urine. Researchers also will measure body fat and bone density using a special kind of X-ray machine. Each child filled out food questionnaires that will help the research team to investigate how much of the PFAS and phthalate exposure has come from diet and how much has come from the environment.

The study is being funded as part of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences’ Outstanding New Environmental Scientist program, which was formed to cultivate future leaders in environmental health and support innovative research projects.

About Maine Medical Center

Maine Medical Center, recognized as a “best regional hospital” by U.S. News and World Report for 2018-2019, is the state’s largest medical center, licensed for 637 beds and employing nearly 8,700 people. It provides nearly 23% of all the charity care delivered in Maine and is part of MaineHealth, the largest integrated health care system in northern New England.

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