New research from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has linked multiple types of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals”) with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases in postmenopausal women.
New research from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has linked multiple types of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals”) with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases in postmenopausal women. Specifically, the study reveals how PFAS chemicals interact with pro-inflammatory pathways in older women, providing potential explanations for the increased risk.
“Previous research suggests PFAS exposures may play a role in the development of cardiovascular disease during the menopause transition, but the biological mechanisms were not well understood,” said lead study author Alicia Arredondo Eve, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition (FSHN) in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) at Illinois. “We focused on specific PFAS chemicals as well as the cardiovascular diseases that are more common in older women.”
It’s difficult to escape PFAS. The man-made chemicals coat nonstick pans, waterproof clothing, food wrappers, receipts, and many more items we come in contact with daily, not to mention being present in much of our water supply. Some forms — and there are thousands of chemical variants — could persist in the environment for hundreds or thousands of years, hence their “forever chemicals” moniker.
Read more at University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
