Dataset Information

Incident thyroid disease in female spouses of private pesticide applicators.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Little is known about modifiable risk factors for thyroid disease. Several pesticides have been implicated in thyroid disruption, but clinical implications are not clear. OBJECTIVE:We assessed associations between pesticide use and other farm exposures and incident hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism in female spouses of farmers in the Agricultural Health Study (AHS). METHODS:We used Cox proportional hazards models to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals for risk of thyroid disease in 24,092 spouses who completed at least one follow-up questionnaire. RESULTS:We identified 1627 hypothyroid and 531 hyperthyroid cases over 20?years of follow-up. The fungicides benomyl, maneb/mancozeb, and metalaxyl, the herbicide pendimethalin, and among those over 60?years of age the insecticides parathion and permethrin (applied to crops) were associated with elevated hypothyroidism risk, with HR ranging from 1.56-2.44. Conversely, the insecticide phorate, and the herbicides imazethapyr and metolachlor were associated with decreased risk (HR ranging 0.63-0.73), as were long-term farm residence and other farm-related activities (HR ranging 0.69-0.84). For hyperthyroidism, the insecticide diazinon, the fungicides maneb/mancozeb, and the herbicide metolachlor were associated with increased risk (HR ranging 1.35-2.01) and the herbicide trifluralin with decreased risk (HR: 0.57). CONCLUSIONS:Several individual pesticides were associated with increased risk of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, although some pesticides were associated with decreased risk. Some of the findings, specifically associations with fungicides, are consistent with results from an earlier analysis of prevalent diseases in AHS spouses.

SUBMITTER: Shrestha S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6396853 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Incident thyroid disease in female spouses of private pesticide applicators.

Shrestha Srishti S Parks Christine G CG Goldner Whitney S WS Kamel Freya F Umbach David M DM Ward Mary H MH Lerro Catherine C CC Koutros Stella S Hofmann Jonathan N JN Beane Freeman Laura E LE Sandler Dale P DP

Environment international 20180613

<h4>Background</h4>Little is known about modifiable risk factors for thyroid disease. Several pesticides have been implicated in thyroid disruption, but clinical implications are not clear.<h4>Objective</h4>We assessed associations between pesticide use and other farm exposures and incident hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism in female spouses of farmers in the Agricultural Health Study (AHS).<h4>Methods</h4>We used Cox proportional hazards models to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence ...[more]

PMID: 29908479

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Project description:BackgroundThough evidence suggests that some pesticides may have thyroid-disrupting properties, prospective studies of associations between specific pesticides and incident thyroid disease are limited.ObjectiveWe evaluated associations between use of specific pesticides and incident hypothyroidism in private pesticide applicators in the Agricultural Health Study (AHS).MethodsSelf-reported incident hypothyroidism ([Formula: see text] cases) was studied in relation to ever-use and intensity-weighted cumulative days of pesticide use at study enrollment. We estimated adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) using Cox proportional hazards models applied to 35,150 male and female applicators followed over 20 y. All models were stratified by state and education to meet proportional hazards assumptions ([Formula: see text] for age x covariate interactions). Models of pesticides that did not meet proportional hazards assumptions were stratified by median attained age (62 y).ResultsHypothyroidism risk was significantly increased with ever- vs. never-use of four organochlorine insecticides (aldrin, heptachlor, and lindane among participants with attained age [Formula: see text]; chlordane in all participants), four organophosphate insecticides (coumaphos in those [Formula: see text]; diazinon, dichlorvos, and malathion in all participants) and three herbicides (dicamba, glyphosate, and 2,4-D in all participants). HRs ranged from 1.21; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.41 (chlordane) to 1.54; 95% CI: 1.23, 19.4 (lindane in those [Formula: see text]). Hypothyroidism risk was greatest among those with higher intensity-weighted lifetime days of using chlordane, lindane, coumaphos (over age 62), diazinon, permethrin, and 2,4-D.ConclusionsOur findings support associations between exposure to several pesticides and increased hypothyroidism risk. These findings are generally consistent with prior analyses of prevalent hypothyroidism in the AHS. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP3194.

Project description:BackgroundExtensive literature suggests an association between general pesticide use and Parkinson's disease (PD). However, with few exceptions, little is known about associations between specific pesticides and PD.ObjectiveWe evaluated use of pesticides and incident PD in 38,274 pesticide applicators and 27,836 of their spouses in the Agricultural Health Study cohort followed over 20 years.MethodsWe used self-reported information on ever-use of 50 specific pesticides as of enrollment for both applicators and spouses, and considered intensity-weighted lifetime days (IWLD) reported at enrollment and through the first 5-year follow-up among applicators. We estimated covariate-adjusted hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) using Cox regression. We also examined heterogeneity in associations by history of head injury and chemical resistant glove use.ResultsA total of 373 applicators and 118 spouses self-reported incident doctor-diagnosed PD. Ever-use of the insecticide terbufos (HR:1.31, 95%CI:1.02-1.68) and the herbicides trifluralin (HR:1.29, 95%CI: 0.99-1.70) and 2,4,5-T (HR:1.57, 95%CI:1.21-2.04) was associated with elevated PD risk. On the other hand, diazinon (HR:0.73, 95%CI: 0.58-0.94) and 2,4,5-TP (HR:0.39, 95%CI:0.25-0.62) were associated with reduced risk. We observed heterogeneity in ever-use associations by head injury and chemical-resistant glove use for some pesticides, with higher risk among those who reported a history of head injury, or who did not use gloves. PD risk was also elevated for applicators in the highest category of IWLD for dichlorvos, permethrin (animal use), and benomyl.ConclusionsWe found evidence of increased PD risk for some pesticides. Our results also suggest higher susceptibility for pesticide-associated PD among individuals with head injury as well as protection with use of chemical resistant gloves, although further research is needed to understand the impact of head injury. Research on current and newer pesticides, including mechanisms relevant to PD, is important given widespread pesticide use.

Dataset Information

Incident thyroid disease in female spouses of private pesticide applicators.

Publications

Incident thyroid disease in female spouses of private pesticide applicators.

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