Review articleThe effects of phthalates in the cardiovascular and reproductive systems: A review

•A large increase in the use of plastic, in the last decades, leads to an increase in human exposure to its toxic components.•Exposure to phthalates may increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases and infertility, some of the modern age pathologies.•Phthalates are associated with a decrease in male reproductive health, e.g. Testicular Dysgenesis Syndrome.•Few data relating phthalates with hypertension, hypertension in pregnancy, atherosclerosis, arrhythmias•DEHP and MEHP lead to suppression of estradiol levels, prolonged estrous cycles and absence of ovulation in female rats.

Every year millions of tons of plastic are produced around the world and humans are increasingly exposed to them. This constant exposure to plastics has raised some concerns against human health, particularly when it comes to phthalates. These compounds have endocrine-disrupting properties, as they have the ability to bind molecular targets in the body and interfere with hormonal function and quantity. The main use of phthalates is to give flexibility to polyvinyl chloride (PVC) polymers. Phthalates are found in a variety of industrial and consumer products, and as they are not covalently bound to the plastic, phthalates contaminate the environment from which human exposure occurs. Studies in human and animal populations suggest a correlation between phthalate exposure and adverse health outcomes, particularly at the reproductive and cardiovascular systems, however there is much less information about the phthalate toxicity of the later. Thus, the main purpose of this review is to present the studies relating the effects already stated of phthalates on the cardiovascular and reproductive systems, and also present the link between these two systems.