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NIH grant 1R03ES038312-01A1: Assessing effects of PFAS exposure from drinking water on hypertension and blood pressure among adults and children using measured and historically reconstructed PFAS blood levels
Institute: {'code': 'ES', 'abbreviation': 'NIEHS', 'name': 'National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences', 'admin_org_id': '12500022', 'admin_funding_url': ''}. PI: Laurel Schaider. Award: $154700.
Start: 2026-08-28T00:00:00.
ABSTRACT
Hypertension is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and death globally, affecting nearly 50% of
adults in the U.S. and over 1 billion adults worldwide. Annual healthcare costs associated with hypertension are
approximately $131 billion in the U.S. The global prevalence of hypertension among children under 18 has
increased ~75% from 2000-2015, and hypertension in childhood or adolescence is an important predictor of
future CVD and CVD mortality. In addition to well-established risk factors such as poor diet, sodium intake,
alcohol consumption, obesity, and lack of physical activity, emerging evidence suggests that exposure to per-
and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) may contribute to hypertension and increased blood pressure in adults
and children. However, there are important gaps in the evidence still to address including the importance of
quantifying the impact of PFAS mixtures in adults and children and effects of varying exposures over time. Our
proposed project will fill these gaps by assessing associations of measured and historically reconstructed serum
PFAS concentrations with blood pressure and hypertension among adults and children. We will efficiently build
upon data already collected as part of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) Multi-
Site PFAS Health Study (MSS), which includes 6,240 adults and 883 children (ages 4-17) from communities in
eight states with a history of PFAS drinking water contamination. This study will be one of the largest and most
comprehensive epidemiological studies to date and has sufficient statistical power to examine effect modification
by age, sex, body mass index, and diet. Participants provided blood samples and completed body measurements
and questionnaires in 2019-2023. Our preliminary results showed associations between measured serum
concentrations and increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure among adult participants. We will extend
these findings by applying novel study design and statistical methods and, for the first time, time series of
historically reconstructed serum PFAS concentrations for adults (back to 2000) and children (back to birth) to
assess impacts of PFAS, individually and in mixtures, on blood pressure and hypertension, as well as the
influence of the timing of these exposures. We will meet these objectives through two closely related aims:
Aim 1. Examine associations of historically reconstructed serum PFAS concentrations with blood pressure and
hypertension among adults. Aim 2. Examine associations of historically reconstructed and measured serum
PFAS concentrations with blood pressure and hypertension among children.
Impact: This project will efficiently leverage existing cohorts and address two major gaps in our current
understanding of associations between PFAS exposure to blood pressure and hypertension among adults and
children. Findings from this study emphasize the importance of reducing PFAS exposure from drinking water
and other sources to improve the overall cardiovascular health for both adults and children and can inform future
targeted interventions to reduce the risk of high blood pressure, especially in highly exposed communities.document fetched 2026-09-06 02:47