Page 28 - JCTR-11-1

Journal of Clinical and
Translational Research Pesticides and ischemic heart disease

Table 4. Associations between pesticide use with ischemic heart They found that one-third of the rats died immediately
diseases among participants in the Rafsanjan cohort study after pesticide exposure, and several arrhythmias occurred
6 months later. Their findings confirmed that pesticides
Pesticide use IHD can act as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, causing severe
Univariate Multivariate detrimental effects.
OR (95% CL) a OR (95% CL) b
The human body can be exposed to pesticides through
Use in farm four common transmission routes such as skin, inhalation,
No 1 1 ingestion, and eyes. Skin absorption, the main method
Yes 0.97 (0.81 – 1.16) 0.92 (0.74 – 1.15) of pesticide entry into the body, depends on factors such
Duration of exposure in year (minutes) as the type of pesticide, exposure duration, skin health,
No 1 1 moisture, and temperature. After inhalation, pesticides are
≤Mean 1.05 (0.86 – 1.27) 0.94 (0.75 – 1.18) rapidly transferred to the lungs, then into the bloodstream,
>Mean 0.68 (0.45 – 1.03) 0.74 (0.47 – 1.18) where they circulate throughout the whole body. Ingestion
Use in yard of pesticides is not common, but it may occur accidentally.
Like the skin, the eyes can also absorb pesticides during
No 1 1 farm work. 9
Yes 1.03 (0.81 – 1.30) 0.98 (0.76 – 1.27)
There are different mechanisms for the detoxification
Duration of exposure in year (minutes) of pesticides, though pesticides infiltrate the human
No 1 1 body in several ways. Sekhotha et al. hypothesized that
8
≤Mean 0.94 (0.71 – 1.23) 0.87 (0.65 – 1.18) the skin is an important system for absorbing pesticides
>Mean 1.35 (0.88 – 2.07) 1.36 (0.85 – 2.17) and agrochemicals. Once absorbed by the skin, pesticide
Use at home particles can be transferred to the blood circulatory system
No 1 1 and induce CVDs. In addition, inhalation of pesticide
Yes 0.89 (0.76 – 1.04) 1.09 (0.92 – 1.29) particles, often present in the air around farmworkers,
Duration of exposure in year (minutes) is another route of entrance. In the respiratory system,
particles of pesticides can adhere to the endothelial
No 1 1 surface and migrate into the bloodstream, potentially
≤Mean 0.85 (0.72 – 0.99) 1.03 (0.87 – 1.23) lead to defects in prothrombotic and coagulant systems,
>Mean 1.02 (0.81 – 1.27) 1.24 (0.97 – 1.58) fluctuations in blood pressure, artery inflammation, and
Pesticide preparation increased oxidative stress. This cascade of effects may result
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No 1 1 in arrhythmias, atherosclerosis, and MI. Furthermore,
Yes 0.93 (0.76 – 1.13) 0.91 (0.72 – 1.15) it is not only farm workers who are at risk of pesticide
Duration of exposure in year (minutes) exposure but also their families, as they usually live near
farms and may be exposed to contaminated shoes, gloves,
No 1 1
and clothing. Thus, farm workers face different ways of
≤Mean 0.93 (0.75 – 1.16) 0.89 (0.70 – 1.14) pesticide exposure, making protective measures essential
>Mean 0.87 (0.54 – 1.37) 0.93 (0.56 – 1.53) for farm workers. In the present study, we showed that
Managed pesticide spraying pesticide spraying can increased the risk of IHD by 27% in
No 1 1 the crude model. However, after adjusting for confounding
Yes 1.27 (1.05 – 1.54) 1.05 (0.84 – 1.30) variables, the association was not statistically significant.
Duration of exposure in year (minutes) A study published in 2017 highlighted that toxins could
No 1 1 accumulate in adipose tissue, as they can aggregate into
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≤Mean 1.26 (1.01 – 1.06) 1.07 (0.84 – 1.36) the fat and adipose cells. Hence, based on our knowledge,
some pesticides are fat-soluble, and this lipophilic
>Mean 1.29 (0.88 – 1.90) 0.93 (0.60 – 1.43) characteristic is harmful to the human body. Pesticide
Notes: The univariate model is stratified on the status of pesticide use. droplets may aggregate when surrounded by lipid droplets,
a
b The multivariate is adjusted for the following confounding variables: age
(continuous), gender (male/female), education years (continuous), BMI potentially leads to an elevated inflammatory response.
(continuous), wealth status index (continuous), habits (cigarette smoking, This inflammation can have negative effects on the cardiac
opium, and alcohol consumption), physical activity level (continuous), system.
diabetes (yes/no), hypertension (yes/no), dyslipidemia (yes/no). 30
Abbreviations: IHD: Ischemic heart disease; OR: Odd ratio; Steenland et al. demonstrated that pesticides can
CL: Confidence level; BMI: Body mass index. persist in the blood circulatory system for extended

Volume 11 Issue 1 (2025) 22 doi: 10.36922/jctr.22.00187