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. 2020;102(1-4):1-36.
doi: 10.1080/02772248.2020.1763997. Epub 2020 May 22.

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes and Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Review of Epidemiologic Findings

Weipeng Qi  1 , John M Clark  2 , Alicia R Timme-Laragy  3 , Yeonhwa Park  1
Affiliations

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes and Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Review of Epidemiologic Findings

Weipeng Qi et al. Toxicol Environ Chem. 2020.

Abstract

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a group of fluoro-surfactants widely detected in the environment, wildlife and humans, have been linked to adverse health effects. A growing body of literature has addressed their effects on obesity, diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease/ non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. This review summarizes the brief historical use and chemistry of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, routes of human exposure, as well as the epidemiologic evidence for associations between exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and the development of obesity, diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease/ non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. We identified 22 studies on obesity and 32 studies on diabetes, while only 1 study was found for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease/ non-alcoholic steatohepatitis by searching PubMed for human studies. Approximately 2/3 of studies reported positive associations between per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances exposure and the prevalence of obesity and/or type 2 diabetes. Causal links between per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and obesity, diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease/ non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, however, require further large-scale prospective cohort studies combined with mechanistic laboratory studies to better assess these associations.

Keywords: PFAS; Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances; diabetes; epidemiology; non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; non-alcoholic steatohepatitis; obesity.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Interest Statement The authors declare they have no actual or potential competing financial interests.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Structures of selected perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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