One More Health Problem Linked To BPA

The latest study shows the compound found in plastic and food packaging can put youngsters at risk for future heart disease.

The list of health problems connected to bisphenol-A (BPA) already includes some serious conditions, from hormone abnormalities to asthma, behavioral problems and obesity. Now, new research suggests that the chemical could be harming children’s kidneys and hearts, independent of the heart issues related to obesity.

For the latest study, published in Kidney International, researchers at New York University analyzed data from 710 U.S. children and teens, ages 6 to 19, who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2009 and ’10. Based on previous research that uncovered a relationship between BPA and heart problems in adults, the scientists decided to focus on children, who may even be more vulnerable to the effects of chemicals in their environment. The researchers recorded the children’s BPA levels as measured in their urine and found that kids and adolescents with the highest levels of the compound also had noticeably higher levels of albumin, a protein that builds up when kidneys are damaged, than participants with the lowest levels of BPA.

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