While the United States continues to await word from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on its findings regarding the controversial polycarbonate component Bisphenol a—BPA—news continues to emerge regarding the adverse health effects linked to the chemical. Now, says Science Daily, a research team from the Peninsula Medical School and the University of Exeter, […]
While the United States continues to await word from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on its findings regarding the controversial polycarbonate component <"https://www.yourlawyer.com/practice_areas/toxic_substances">Bisphenol a—BPA—news continues to emerge regarding the adverse health effects linked to the chemical.
Now, says Science Daily, a research team from the Peninsula Medical School and the University of Exeter, United Kingdom, have found a link between the estrogenic chemical and cardiovascular disease. The team looked at emerging US population data; results appear in the online journal PLoS ONE. The study utilized US government’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2006-2006 US population study information, explained Science Daily.
The study found that urinary BPA levels were one-third lower than those reported in 2003-2004; however, higher BPA concentrations in urine were connected with cardiovascular disease in 2005-2006, as well as to some liver enzymes, said Science Daily. The team’s first paper in 2008 was the first to link BPA and heart diseases, said Science Daily, noting that this new information confirms the 2008 findings.
A different, recently published study just linked the chemical to intestinal problems. That study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy Sciences Journal revealed the hormone mimicker does, in fact, cause harm to intestines, said MLive.com, which noted that intestines are the first organ in contact with the chemical following ingestion of BPA. Another study, conducted by the Yale School of Medicine, found that “nonhuman primates†exposed to BPA levels deemed safe by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) experienced “interference with brain cell connections†that appeared to be BPA-associated, said Daily Finance previously.
BPA was developed in the 1930s as an estrogenic mimicker and appears to cause significant disruption on the body’s endocrine system. In urine tests, BPA is found in the overwhelming majority of Americans, more than 93 percent and, significantly, the chemical is found in 90 percent of all newborns. Given that BPA has been connected to increased risks of brain, reproductive, cardiac, and immune system diseases and disorders; problems with liver function testing; interruptions in chemotherapy treatment; and links with serious health problems, this is a serious issue.
Studies have overwhelmingly found BPA to have negative effects at doses lower than current FDA standards; retention in the body longer than was previously believed; leeching into liquids being held in containers regardless of the containers’ temperature; and longer lasting damage, which some feel can be passed to future generations. Recent reports link high levels of exposure to BPA to erectile dysfunction and other sexual problems in males.
The team from the UK found in 2008 that BPA concentrations in urine could be linked to adverse effects in adults in the areas of liver function, insulin, diabetes and obesity, reported Science Daily. Utilizing information from the NHANES 2004-2004—the first time urinary BPA concentrations were measured—the team discovered that about 25 percent of people with the highest BPA levels were over twice as likely to report having heart disease or diabetes, versus the 25 percent with the lowest levels of the chemical, said Science Daily.