Bisphenol A linked to disease in humans

More studies of the controversial chemical are on the way.

High levels of bisphenol A (BPA) — a chemical used in some containers for food and drink — may be associated with an increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease in humans, a new study has found.

The study, published this week by the Journal of the American Medical Association, is the first large-scale investigation of the controversial chemical's effect on human disease. It is a welcome addition to the body of BPA research, the vast majority of which has been conducted in animals.

But the results do not establish a causal link between BPA and disease, and the study design does not allow researchers to determine which came first: higher exposure to BPA or illness. "I think our study definitely puts a scientific question mark over this compound," says epidemiologist David Melzer of the Peninsula Medical School in Exeter, UK, who led the research. "Still, this is the first study. It has to be repeated.">source:http://www.nature.com