Grant to explore link between BPA and heart disease (UK)

The British Heart Foundation is to fund research exploring the link between Bisphenol A (BPA), a manmade chemical found in commonly used plastics, and heart disease. The grant is for GBP119,169. In the UK, 2.6 million people are living with heart disease. Studies have suggested that some manmade chemicals might be linked to development of heart disease, including bisphenol A (BPA) that is used in some types of plastic containers. A research team from Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry in Exeter and the University of Exeter will try to confirm whether BPA may cause heart disease. They will measure levels of BPA in about 1,000 people who are receiving bypass surgery for heart disease at Papworth Hospital in Cambridgeshire to see if there is a link. They will also look at BPA levels among a study group of thousands of people from Norfolk, who have been followed for more than 10 years as part of an ongoing research project to look at the development of heart disease. Clarifying whether BPA is linked to heart disease could impact public health by leading to potential controls on its use

Elevated amount of BPA can increase cardiac risk by 45%, study finds

"Elevated exposure to bisphenol A has been linked in a new study to a significantly increased risk of cardiovascular disease, the second time researchers have made a connection between the widely used plastic-making compound and heart ailments. The finding, released Tuesday, is likely to add to the controversy over the risks to adults of bisphenol A, which has been designated as a toxic compound by Health Canada and removed from plastic baby bottles as a safety precaution, but is still used as a liner inside almost all food and beverage cans sold in Canada. According to the new research, 60-year-old American males with the highest amounts of bisphenol A in their urine had about a 45 per cent greater risk of cardiovascular disease than men the same age with lower exposures, confirming the results of a previous study on the topic released in 2008 and based on a different sample of people" - Globe and Mail

Chemical in baby bottles 'raises risk of heart disease'

"A chemical found babies' bottles, tin cans and CD cases may raise the risk of heart disease in women. Research shows that bisphenol A - a building block of many commonly used plastics - can cause potentially dangerous alterations to cardiac rhythm. Although the studies were applied to female mice and rats, scientists warn that women's health could also be at risk. Researcher Scott Belcher said: 'These studies have identified new and important cardiac risks associated with bisphenol A exposure that may be especially important for women's heart health.' The finding adds to a long list of health problems linked to the chemical which is found in the linings of many food and drink cans." - Mail

New health risks linked with bisphenol A, chemical found in some plastic bottles

"The first major study of health effects in people from a chemical used in plastic baby bottles, food cans and a host of other products links it with possible risks for heart disease and diabetes. It suggests a potential new concern about the safety of bisphenol A or BPA. And because of the possible public health implications, the results 'deserve scientific follow-up,' the study authors said. But the study is preliminary, far from proof that the chemical causes heart disease and diabetes. Two Dartmouth College analysts of medical research said the study raises questions but provides no answers about whether the ubiquitous chemical is harmful" - The Canadian Press