Chemicals developed as safer alternatives to harmful ingredients in plastics have been linked to hypertension and insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes, Medical News Today reports.

Scientists from New York University Langone Medical Center found that phthalate compounds known as di-isononyl phthalate (DINP) and di-isodecyl phthalate (DIDP) have similarly adverse effects as the compounds they were developed to replace, known as di-2-ethylhexylphlatate (DEHP).

The phthalates strengthen plastic wraps and processed food containers, among other household items.

The findings, from two new studies, were published in the journals Hypertension and The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

In the Hypertension study, for every 10-fold increase in the amount of phthalates consumed, there was a 1.1 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) increase in blood pressure.

In the other study, one in three adolescents with the highest DINP levels had the highest insulin resistance, while for those with the lowest concentrations of the chemicals, only one in four had insulin resistance.

"Our research adds to growing concerns that environmental chemicals might be independent contributors to insulin resistance, elevated blood pressure and other metabolic disorders," said Leonardo Trasande, M.D., a professor at NYU Langone.

"Our study adds further concern for the need to test chemicals for toxicity prior to their broad and widespread use, which is not required under current federal law."