Bottle, container chemical tied to diabetes

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Exposure to a controversial chemical used in food and beverage containers has been linked to increased risk of heart disease and diabetes, according to the first large study of its kind on the potential health effects of bisphenol A (BPA) in humans.

Evidence of damaging effects in animals exposed to BPA has raised concerns about similar effects in people, especially infants and children.

From baby bottles and refillable water bottles to compact discs and dental sealants, BPA is widely used in consumer products, and more than 90 percent of the U.S. population is believed to have at least trace amounts of it in their system.

In the first major human study, researchers from Britain and the University of Iowa found that adults with higher levels of BPA in their urine were more than twice as likely to have heart disease or diabetes than people with lower levels. None of the nearly 1,500 adults involved in the study had urine levels above what's considered safe by the FDA.

The study, published in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association, doesn't establish a cause-and-effect relationship between BPA and heart disease.

Still, the results are "disturbing," said David Schardt, senior nutritionist for the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

"You seldom want to change your behavior 180 degrees based on one study that doesn't prove cause and effect," Schardt said. "But if more studies come out like [this one], I think the FDA needs to reconsider whether this stuff should be permitted."

A separate editorial published in JAMA argued that the study should "spur U.S. regulatory agencies to follow the recent action taken by Canadian regulatory agencies, which have declared BPA a 'toxic chemical' requiring aggressive action to limit human and environmental exposures."

At a scientific hearing in Washington, FDA officials on Tuesday defended the agency's position on BPA, but acknowledged that further research is needed.

"We recognize the need to resolve the concerning questions that have been raised," said Laura Tarantino, head of the FDA's office of food additive safety. "Right now, our tentative conclusion is that it's safe, so we're not recommending any change in habits."

As the debate over BPA's safety continues, some manufacturers are already taking steps to remove the chemical from their products.