EDCs May Contribute to Female Reproductive Disorders, Huge Economic Burden

Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) may contribute to female reproductive disorders like fibroids and endometriosis, as well as associated economic costs in the European Union (EU) approximately €1.41 billion annually, according to a study recently published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Researchers led by Leonardo Trasande, MD, MPP, of the New York University School of Medicine, noted the “growing body of evidence” that implicates EDCs in causing female infertility issues, so they looked to the EU to determine what disorders women experience and the economic burden caused by EDCs.

An expert panel was assembled to study two exposure-outcome relationships: adult diphenyldichloroethene (DDE) exposure with fibroids and adult phthalate exposure with endometriosis. They considered other chemicals, such as dioxins, but chose not to follow up with those since they are already regulated by the Stockholm Convention. “The panel selected these exposure-outcome relationships because of the availability of well-conducted observational human studies to assess effects of these EDCs on female reproductive disorders,” the authors write.

The researchers evaluated these relationships using biomarker data from carefully selected, peer-reviewed literature, and estimated cost of illness using multiple peer-reviewed sources. For adult diphenyldichloroethene (DDE) exposure with fibroids and adult phthalate exposure with endometriosis, they found that the probability of causation was about 20% – 39%. “Across the EU,” they write, attributable cases were estimated to be 56,700 and 145,000 women, respectively, with total combined economic and health care costs potentially reaching €163 million and €1.25 billion.”

The authors conclude that the EDCs they studied (diphenyldichloroethene and phthalates) may contribute substantially to fibroid and endometriosis, two of the most common reproductive disorders women experience. Not only that, but the associated costs could reach €1.5 billion annually. “These estimates represent only EDCs for which there were sufficient epidemiologic studies and those with the highest probability of causation,” the authors write. “These public health costs should be considered as the EU contemplates regulatory action on EDCs.”