Exposure to harmful PFAS chemicals, or forever chemicals, has been shown by researchers to raise the risk of dying from heart disease. Because it’s hard to prove a link between a drug and death, these results are important.
They looked at death records from Italy, where people drank water that was highly contaminated with PFAS for many years. The lead author of the peer-reviewed study, Annibale Biggeri, said, “This is the first time that anyone has found strong evidence of an association between PFAS exposure and cardiovascular mortality.”
Between 1985 and 2018, chemicals from forever were found in this part of Italy, and researchers first noticed a rise in deaths during this time. The researchers then looked at these results and compared them to results from a different area that did not have the same water source. This helped them figure out what the changes were.
These fifteen thousand chemicals are called PFAS. They are used in dozens of businesses to make consumer goods resistant to water, heat, and stains. It has been known for a while that these chemicals can cause health problems like cancer, liver harm, birth defects, and a weaker immune system.
Because these chemicals aren’t caused by diet or exercise, they can affect the heart by making too much cholesterol, which can be hard to manage.
The study also shows that contact earlier in life can cause more deaths. Through the uterus, these chemicals can be passed from mother to child. This can expose the child to a lot of them and shows that the chemicals can be passed down from generation to generation.
Laura Facciolo, a resident of Veneto who drank water that was contaminated, said she felt like a human trial. She also said that these results should make them stop these chemicals.
