(Press-News.org) Contact information: William Raillant-Clark
w.raillant-clark@umontreal.ca
514-343-7593
University of Montreal
PCBs still affecting our health decades later
Chemical banned by the US 3 decades ago hurts seniors' cognitive performance
Although PCBs have been banned in the United States since 1979, University of Montreal and CHU Sainte-Justine researcher Maryse Bouchard has found that higher levels of the toxin was associated with lower cognitive performance in seniors. There is a significant association between PCB levels and cognitive abilities among individuals aged 70 to 84 years; the correlation was also detected to a lesser extent among people aged 60-69 years. This analysis also showed that the association differed by sex. Women in the older age group had the largest diminution in cognition in relation to exposure. "While most studies have looked at the impact of PCBs on infant development, our research shows that this toxin might affect us throughout our lives," Bouchard said.
The use and production of PCBs have been phased out for over 40 years, but these highly persistent substances are still found in the blood of most individuals, especially older people. 708 Americans participated in Bouchard's study, which involved providing blood samples to determine the levels of toxins in their bodies and completing a memory and motor-skill task to determine their cognitive performance. The PCB levels found in their bodies were representative of those in the general U.S population. "Aging persons could be at particular risk because of higher cumulative exposure built up across a lifetime, susceptibility due to underlying medical conditions, such as vascular disorders, and diminished cognitive reserve capacity," Bouchard said. "Our present findings suggest that PCBs, even at levels generally considered to pose low or no risk, may contribute to cognitive deficits."
PCB disposal processes currently range from effective remediation to deliberate dumping. They accumulate in the lipid tissues of animal and marine life forms, and biomagnify across the food chain. As a result, PCBs are today ubiquitously present in tissues of human populations, in North American and around the world. This study underscores the importance of improving our response to PCBs as a health hazard.
###
Notes
"Polychlorinated Biphenyl Exposures and Cognition in Older U.S. Adults" will be published online in Environmental Health Perspectives, the journal of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, on November 25, 2013. This study was funded in part by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research and the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé. The University of Montreal is officially known as Université de Montréal.
PCBs still affecting our health decades later
Chemical banned by the US 3 decades ago hurts seniors' cognitive performance
2013-11-25
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Certain symptom clusters experienced after surgery for esophageal cancer predict poor prognosis
2013-11-25
Certain symptom clusters experienced after surgery for esophageal cancer predict poor prognosis
A new study has found that several months after surgery for esophageal cancer, different symptoms cluster together in different types of patients. In addition, patients with certain ...
Bonding together to fight HIV
2013-11-25
Bonding together to fight HIV
(BOSTON, MA) A collaborative team led by a Northeastern University professor may have altered the way we look at drug development for HIV by uncovering some unusual properties of a human protein called APOBEC3G (A3G). ...
Women directors better at mergers and acquisitions
2013-11-25
Women directors better at mergers and acquisitions
The more women there are on a corporate board the less a company pays for its acquisitions, according to a new study by researchers at UBC's Sauder School of Business.
The forthcoming Journal of ...
Experiencing awe increases belief in the supernatural
2013-11-25
Experiencing awe increases belief in the supernatural
Awe-inspiring moments — like the sight of the Grand Canyon or the Aurora Borealis — might increase our tendency to believe in God and the supernatural, according to new research.
The ...
Scientists capture 'redox moments' in living cells
2013-11-25
Scientists capture 'redox moments' in living cells
Better understanding of hardy bacteria enhances tool for biofuel creation
RICHLAND, Wash. – Scientists have charted a significant signaling network in a tiny organism that's big in the world of biofuels ...
Great lakes waterfowl die-offs: Finding the source
2013-11-24
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 24-Nov-2013
[
| E-mail
]
var addthis_pub="eurekalert"; var addthis_options = "favorites, delicious, digg, facebook, twitter, google, newsvine, reddit, slashdot, stumbleupon, buzz, more"
Share
Contact: Jason Socrates Bardi
dfdmedia@aps.org
240-535-4954
American Physical Society
Great lakes waterfowl die-offs: Finding the source
New experimental data, presented at APS Division of Fluid Dynamics Meeting, moves toward finding a better model to determine where birds ate toxic fish
WASHINGTON D.C. Nov. 24, 2013 -- A deadly menace ...
The physics of beer tapping
2013-11-24
The physics of beer tapping
Fluid dynamics explains why bottled beer bubbles over when tapped
WASHINGTON D.C. Nov. 24, 2013 -- An old, hilarious if somewhat juvenile party trick involves covertly tapping the top of someone's newly opened beer bottle and ...
The secrets of owls' near noiseless wings
2013-11-24
The secrets of owls' near noiseless wings
Learning how owls use acoustic stealth to sneak up on prey could help engineers design more quiet aircraft and wind turbines, according to work at upcoming APS Fluid Dynamics Meeting
WASHINGTON D.C. Nov. 24, 2013 ...
Update: 50 percent of patients in Cedars-Sinai brain cancer study alive after 5 years
2013-11-24
Update: 50 percent of patients in Cedars-Sinai brain cancer study alive after 5 years
With standard care, median length of survival is 15 months after diagnosis of glioblastoma multiforme -- and only 10 percent survive more than 5 years
LOS ANGELES (NOV. 23, 2013) ...
CVD expert calls for mandatory screening of 18 year-old Mexicans
2013-11-23
CVD expert calls for mandatory screening of 18 year-old Mexicans
Mexican diet more dangerous than fast food chains
Sophia Antipolis, France – 23 November 2013: A cardiovascular disease (CVD) expert is calling for mandatory screening of 18 year-old Mexicans ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Thirty-year mystery of dissonance in the “ringing” of black holes explained
Less intensive works best for agricultural soil
Arctic rivers project receives “national champion” designation from frontiers foundation
Computational biology paves the way for new ALS tests
Study offers new hope for babies born with opioid withdrawal syndrome
UT, Volkswagen Group of America celebrate research partnership
New Medicare program could dramatically improve affordability for cancer drugs – if patients enroll
Are ‘zombie’ skin cells harmful or helpful? The answer may be in their shapes
University of Cincinnati Cancer Center presents research at AACR 2025
Head and neck, breast, lung and survivorship studies headline Dana-Farber research at AACR Annual Meeting 2025
AACR: Researchers share promising results from MD Anderson clinical trials
New research explains why our waistlines expand in middle age
Advancements in muon detection: Taishan Antineutrino Observatory's innovative top veto tracker
Chips off the old block
Microvascular decompression combined with nerve combing for atypical trigeminal neuralgia
Cutting the complexity from digital carpentry
Lung immune cell type “quietly” controls inflammation in COVID-19
Fiscal impact of expanded Medicare coverage for GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat obesity
State and sociodemographic trends in US cigarette smoking with future projections
Young adults drive historic decline in smoking
NFCR congratulates Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr. on receiving the AACR-Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research
Chimpanzee stem cells offer new insights into early embryonic development
This injected protein-like polymer helps tissues heal after a heart attack
FlexTech inaugural issue launches, pioneering interdisciplinary innovation in flexible technology
In Down syndrome mice, 40Hz light and sound improve cognition, neurogenesis, connectivity
Methyl eugenol: potential to inhibit oxidative stress, address related diseases, and its toxicological effects
A vascularized multilayer chip reveals shear stress-induced angiogenesis in diverse fluid conditions
AI helps unravel a cause of Alzheimer's disease and identify a therapeutic candidate
Coalition of Autism Scientists critiques US Department of Health and Human Services Autism Research Initiative
Structure dictates effectiveness, safety in nanomedicine
[Press-News.org] PCBs still affecting our health decades laterChemical banned by the US 3 decades ago hurts seniors' cognitive performance