The widely used chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) has been linked to a variety of adverse health effects and now researchers say that men with higher exposures to BPA are more likely to develop heart disease in later life. The study, appearing in the journal Circulation, was carried out by researchers at the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, the University of Exeter and the European Centre for the Environment and Human Health, in association with the University of Cambridge.
BPA is one of the world's highest production volume chemicals. The global population is exposed to BPA primarily through packaged food and drink, but also through drinking water, dental sealants, exposure to the skin and the inhalation of household dust.
Previously, the researchers had identified the link between BPA and the increased risk of cardiovascular disease by using two sets of US data. This showed a correlation between exposure to BPA and cardiovascular disease but it did not help researchers to predict how exposure to the chemical might affect future health.
The new study uses data from the European Prospective Investigation of Cancer, a long term population study led by the University of Cambridge. It is the first time that data has been used to establish a link between exposure to BPA and the future onset of cardiovascular disease.
The findings show that those who developed heart disease tended to have higher urinary BPA concentrations when first tested. "This study strengthens the statistical link between BPA and heart disease, but we can't be certain that BPA itself is responsible. It is now important that government agencies organize drug style safety trials of BPA in humans," said research leader David Melzer.
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Source: The Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry
