Iran Press/ Sci & Tech: Exposure to a common class of chemicals called phthalates was linked to premature deaths, especially deaths caused by heart disease, a new study published on Tuesday in Environmental Pollution found.
The man-made chemicals are found in hundreds of consumer products, including food-storage containers, shampoo, makeup, perfume, and children's toys.
For decades, scientists have known that phthalates can interfere with essential hormone functions. Even the most minor hormonal disruptions can cause significant effects - including developmental and reproductive issues, as well as problems with the brain and immune system - the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences said.
Phthalates exposure has been explicitly linked to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease in several studies.
"These chemicals have a rap sheet," Leonardo Trasande, the lead author and director of NYU Langone's Center for the Investigation of Environmental Hazards, told CNN. "And the fact of the matter is that when you look at the entire body of evidence, it provides a haunting pattern of concern."
Trasande and colleagues at NYU Grossman School of Medicine analyzed data from more than 5,000 adults between the ages of 55 and 64. They found that those with the highest level of phthalates in their urine were more likely to die earlier than expected, especially of heart-related causes.
The study calculated that between 91,000 to 107,000 American adults a year suffer premature deaths linked to these chemicals. The authors put a price tag on those early deaths: an estimated $40 billion to $47 billion each year in lost economic productivity.
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