PFAS has long been linked with dyslipidemia, the fancy medical term for high cholesterol levels. Now researchers have shown cholesterol-reducing medications may have the potential to reduce PFAS levels. Read on to find out more.
Cholesterol and PFAS
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) have been linked to a wide range of serious medical conditions. These include cancers, kidney disease, and reduced birth weight. One widely researched area is the link between increased PFAS and dyslipidemia or high cholesterol and related conditions including hypertension and metabolic syndrome. This means that PFAS may be a key trigger in increased risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and other serious health issues linked with these conditions.
Teenagers with the health of pensioners
One large-scale study of adolescents in Norway established that PFAS is strongly linked with a raft of related conditions. The study explored exposure to 18 different PFAS compounds. They looked for links with a number of different health conditions. Specifically, they found that:
- PFOS, PFNA, PFDA, PFUnDA were positively associated with apo B, total and LDL cholesterol.
- Total PFAS level, PFOS, PFNA, PFDA, PFUnDA were positively associated with the risk of dyslipidemia.
- Total PFAS level, PFHxS, PFOS, PFOA and were positively associated with the risk of hypertension.
- PFHpS and PFHxS concentrations were positively associated with the risk of obesity.
The study is especially concerning, since many of these compounds are quite commonly found in human samples.
Cholesterol drugs may reduce PFAS
High cholesterol is associated with a significant increase in mortality and morbidity. As a result, a lot of research has been done on approaches to reduce “bad” cholesterol. One class of compounds that has shown some promising results are known as “anion exchange resin treatments”. There are a number of these already on the market. They work by binding to bile acids in the gut. In turn, this triggers the body to convert cholesterol into more bile acid. Colestyramine or cholestyramine is one such compound. However, there are other similar drugs including colestipol, colestimide, and colesevelam.
Colestyramine and PFAS
A 2023 study looked at whether these anion exchange resin treatments might also reduce PFAS. The proof-of-concept study in Denmark looked specifically at serum PFOS levels along with PFHxS, PFOA, PFNA and PFDA. As mentioned above, all these are strongly linked with increases in dyslipidemia and/or hypertension.
The study
The Danish study took 45 subjects with a mean age of 50. Participants were assigned to 2 groups at random. All participants took an initial PFAS blood test. Then group A began a 12 week course of colestyramine while group B acted as a control. At the end of the 12 weeks, another blood test was taken. Then there was a 2 week pause and the groups were swapped, with group A acting as the control group, and group B receiving the colestyramine.
The results were quite conclusive. The colestyramine treatment led to significant decreases in serum PFAS levels. The most significant reduction was for PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate), which dropped by 60%. PFOS is one of the most prevalent compounds in the population, affecting over 85% of the US population. The other compounds all saw reductions between 15-44%. All this with no reported serious side effects.
Looking to the future
Anion exchange resins are already a recognized method for reducing PFAS in water. So, perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised that these compounds also work to reduce PFAS in blood. This study adds to the field of research looking into different ways of reducing one’s blood PFAS levels. Blood and plasma donation was one other way that researchers found could reduce PFAS levels.
These studies are just a start, and it may be some years before this becomes a recognized treatment for high PFAS levels. Meanwhile, the best way to deal with PFAS remains monitoring your levels and reducing your exposure.
