Pesticides associated with cardiovascular risk factors

Abstract

Objective: To examine the evidence available in the literature regarding pesticides associated with cardiovascular risk factors. Methods: This is an integrative literature review. The databases used were: Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS), Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE) via the Virtual Health Library (VHL), Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science (WOS). Articles published in Portuguese, English, and Spanish between 2019 and 2023 were included. Results: 20 articles constituted the sample. The main pesticides associated with cardiovascular risk factors were organophosphates (malathion, parathion, chlorpyrifos), organochlorines (DDT, DDE, hexachlorobenzene), and pyrethroids (deltamethrin), as well as glyphosate, carbofuran, mirex (dodecacloreto de percloropentaciclodecano) and mancozeb. The chronic exposure—often occupational in nature—promotes the development of cardiovascular dysfunctions, as it is associated with outcomes such as arterial hypertension, obesity, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction, and arrhythmias. Final considerations: The findings reinforce the urgent need for public policies and intervention strategies aimed at reducing pesticide exposure. Such actions are essential to protect the population's cardiovascular health, with particular attention to rural workers and communities neighboring cultivation areas, who face greater vulnerability.