Endocrine-disrupting chemicals and female reproductive health: a growing concern.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review summarizing mechanistic and observational evidence without systematic synthesis.
PubMed 40404936 · doi:10.1038/s41574-025-01131-x
What was done
This narrative review summarizes epidemiological and mechanistic evidence regarding how endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) affect female reproductive health across development and adulthood. It focuses on the establishment and maintenance of the ovarian reserve and hypothalamic-pituitary neuroendocrine regulation of puberty and ovulation.
What was found
The abstract reports no quantitative data, effect sizes, or risk estimates. It qualitatively describes evidence associating EDC exposure with female reproductive disorders, including abnormal puberty, reduced fertility, premature menopause, and polycystic ovarian syndrome.
Why it matters
Global fertility rates have declined over the past five decades while female reproductive disorders have increased. This review synthesizes biological and epidemiological links connecting these population-level trends to environmental chemical exposures.
Limits
The paper is a narrative review with no systematic search methodology, quantitative synthesis, or reported sample size. Establishing direct causality between specific EDC exposures and human disease manifestations remains an explicit challenge.
Cited by
- supports Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are associated with an increased risk of premature ovarian insufficiency.