BPA May Pose Greater Risk to Women With Hormone, Fertility Issues

Another study has found links between the polycarbonate plastic chemical, <"https://www.yourlawyer.com/practice_areas/toxic_substances">bisphenol A—BPA—and fertility and hormonal issues in women. The Medical News cited a study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

The study revealed higher BPA levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) versus controls, and also discovered a statistically significant positive link between male sex hormones and BPA in these women, said The Medical News. This finding is significant as it points to a potential role of BPA in ovarian dysfunction, noted The Medical News.

BPA is a plastic hardening chemical whose ubiquity is legendary. Hundreds of studies have linked BPA to cardiovascular disease, intestinal problems, brain cell connection interference, increased risks of reproductive and immune system diseases and disorders, problems with liver function testing, interruptions in chemotherapy, and premature puberty. We have also long written about BPA’s links to PCOS, female fertility issues, erectile dysfunction, and male sexual problems.

PCOS, said The Medical News is the most prevalent endocrine disorder in females of child-bearing age, which is distinguished by excessive androgen hormones, hormones that are masculinization promoting. PCOS is of concern because it raises the risks for a number of dangerous conditions including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease, as well as for infertility, noted The Medical News.

“Our research shows that BPA may be more harmful to women with hormonal and fertility imbalances like those found in PCOS,” said Evanthia Diamanti-Kandarakis, MD, PhD, study co-author and professor at the University of Athens Medical School in Greece, quoted The Medical News. “These women should be alert to the potential risks and take care of themselves by avoiding excessive every-day consumption of food or drink from plastic containers,” Dr. Diamanti-Kandarakis said.

For the research, 71 women with PCOS and 100 healthy female control participants were segregated into two groups and then by subgroups by age and body type; BPA blood levels were almost 60 percent higher in slimmer women with PCOS and over 30 percent higher in obese women with PCOS, versus controls, said The Medical News. As BPA levels increased, so too, did male sex hormone—testosterone and androstenedione—levels.

“Excessive secretion of androgens, as seen in PCOS, interfere with BPA detoxification by the liver, leading to accumulation of blood levels of BPA,” said Diamanti-Kandarakis. “BPA also affects androgen metabolism, creating a vicious circle between androgens and BPA,” she added, quoted The Medical News.

A recent study on which we have written revealed that human exposure to the ever-present estrogenic polycarbonate chemical is significantly higher than previously believed and also originates from a greater array of sources, many of which remain unknown.

We also recently wrote that another study determined that BPA easily passes through the skin into the body. An issue of significant concern since, as we’ve previously reported, BPA is present in a large majority of cash register receipts, has recently been found on paper currency, and is in aquatic environments due to the impact of the chemical in paint resins used on marine products.

Of note, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found BPA in the urine of most everyone tested in a 2004 analysis of the U.S. population, said Science Daily previously. As we’ve written earlier, BPA is found in the bodies of 93 percent of Americans and 90 percent of American newborns.