On 18 August 2020, the US news provider CNN published an article titled “High BPA levels linked to 49% greater risk of death within 10 years, study says”. The article, written by Sandee LaMotte, reports on the findings of a peer-reviewed scientific study published in the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open journal and was conducted by US academic scientists.
In the article, LaMotte explains that an increased prevalence of bisphenol A (BPA; CAS 80-05-7) in people was associated with increased mortality 10 years later. BPA has previously been shown to be associated with increased risk for different adverse health outcomes like heart disease (Melzer et al. 2010), diabetes (FPF reported) and obesity (Ribeiro et al. 2020). Study co-author Leonardo Trasande from New York University School of Medicine is quoted, stating that “those three conditions – obesity, diabetes, and heart disease – all step up the risk of mortality”, therefore the study results were not surprising.
The CNN article further explains the main exposure routes for BPA as being food packaging, notably plastics as well as beverage and food cans, and thermal paper such as used for receipts. Recommendations for avoiding or reducing BPA exposure are also provided.
BPA is a food contact chemical that has been intensively studied (FPF reported). Recently, human exposure data for high levels of BPA were found to be systematically underestimated (FPF reported) and its low-dose effects have been subject of controversy (FPF reported).
Read more
Sandee LaMotte (August 18, 2020). “High BPA levels linked to 49% greater risk of death within 10 years, study says.” CNN online
German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) (October 5, 2020). “Erhöht Bisphenol A das Sterberisiko?” (pdf)
German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) (October 9, 2020). “Fragen und Antworten zu Bisphenol A in verbrauchernahen Produkten.”
References
Wei Bao et al. (August 17, 2020). “Association between Bisphenol A exposure and risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality in US adults.” JAMA Network Open
Carolina Martins Ribeiro et al. (June 21, 2020). “Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals and anthropometric measures of obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis.” BMJ Open Diabetes and Endocrinology
David Melzer et al. (January 13, 2010). “Association of urinary bisphenol A concentration with heart disease: Evidence from NHANES 2003/06.” PLOS ONE
