BPA associated with heart disease, diabetes
Higher levels of Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical compound used in some plastic packaging for food and beverages, is associated with cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and liver-enzyme abnormalities, according to a study in the Sept. 17 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
Bill Toscano, an environmental health professor at the University of Minnesota, says that the study is unique because it's the first time that risks from BPA have been identified to affect humans.
He recommends minimizing exposure for kids and parents. But that's easier said than done.
In an interview with KARE 11, Toscano said: "It's everywhere. We make about 7 million pounds of it a year. It's in plastic, hard plastic bottles, Nalgene bottles, a lot of baby bottles, inside liners of tin cans; it's used in dentistry now to replace mercury."
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