Bisphenol A (BPA) is a manmade chemical found in commonly used plastics.
Grant to explore link between chemical and heart disease
The British Heart Foundation is to fund research exploring the link between Bisphenol A (BPA), a manmade chemical found in commonly used plastics, and heart disease. The £119,169 grant is being awarded to a team from the University of Exeter's School of Biosciences and Peninsula Medical School.
In the UK, 2∙6 million people are living with heart disease. Studies have suggested that some manmade chemicals might be linked to development of heart disease, including bisphenol A (BPA) that is used in some types of plastic containers.
The research team will try to confirm whether BPA may cause heart disease. They will measure levels of BPA in about 1,000 people who are receiving bypass surgery for heart disease at Papworth Hospital in Cambridgeshire to see if there is a link.
They will also look at BPA levels among a study group of thousands of people from Norfolk, who have been followed for more than 10 years as part of an ongoing research project to look at the development of heart disease. Clarifying whether BPA is linked to heart disease could impact public health by leading to potential controls on its use.
The Peninsula Medical School is a joint entity of the University of Exeter, the University of Plymouth and the NHS in the South West of England.
Date: 6 April 2010
