Exposure to bisphenol A (BPA), a controversial chemical commonly used to make plastics, increases a person’s risk of developing heart disease later in life, a new study suggests. People primarily are exposed to BPA through packaged foods and drinks, but also may be exposed through drinking water, dental sealants and inhaling household dust.
Over a 10-year period, researchers compared BPA levels in 758 people who were initially healthy but later developed heart disease to levels in 861 people who did not develop the disease. These subjects were part of a long-term population study led by the University of Cambridge, in the U.K. The study found that the subjects who developed heart disease had higher levels of the chemical in their urine at the start of the study than those who did not develop the disease.
» Read more: BPA Exposure May Raise Risk of Heart Disease