「雙酚A」與「心血管疾病」、「糖尿病」有關
摘譯自2008年9月16日ENS美國，華盛頓特區報導；潘忠廷編譯；莫聞審校
科學家首度證實尿液中高濃度的雙酚A（bisphenol A）與心血管、糖尿疾病密切關連。
舉凡食物容器內的環氧基樹脂（epoxy resins）、嬰兒硬塑料奶瓶、水壺，都可見雙酚A蹤跡。動物在低劑量接觸後產生的不良反應實驗結果，使得科學家關切人類長時間低劑量下接觸的後果。
研究的共同作者、愛荷華大學病理學家華勒斯（Robert Wallace）表示：「直至目前，指出雙酚A會致病的資料仍太少，但這項報告顯示，尿液中高濃度的雙酚A（bisphenol A）與兩種嚴重疾病──心血管與糖尿病，有所關連。」
華勒斯說「它們之間只是有關連，有沒有因果關係仍須後續調查。絕大部分相關主管官員認為長時間、低量接觸雙酚A不具威脅，這可能是對的，但仍需足夠的成果來證實。」
在一場會議裡，美國食品藥物管理局(FDA)科學家羅拉塔倫提諾(Laura Tarantino)，表達局內的一貫立場肯定此化學物是安全。她說：「目前已有規範該物質的最低安全標準，現行規定以足夠保護消費者、嬰幼兒與孩童。」
代表化工業的美國化學協會(American Chemistry Council)指出，這份報告是以統計分析方式，使得近來接觸雙酚A者尿中的雙酚A濃度與心血管、糖尿疾病有所關連。
該會辯稱，早在測量雙酚A接觸量之前，疾病就已存在並且發展了一段時間。 「由於上述原因與其他先天限制，報告無法指出雙酚A與健康之間的因果關係。」該會也認為，未來需更多研究。
Bisphenol A Linked to Heart Disease and Diabetes
For the first time, scientists have linked higher concentrations of the chemical bisphenol A in human urine with diagnoses of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Bisphenol A is widely used in epoxy resins lining food and beverage containers and in hard plastic baby bottles and drinking water bottles. Evidence of adverse health effects in animals exposed to low doses of the chemical has generated concern over low-level chronic exposures in humans.
"Up until now, there has been very little data linking BPA with human disease," said co-authored in part by Robert Wallace, M.D., University of Iowa professor of epidemiology. "This study finds a correlation between people with higher urinary BPA levels and two serious diseases - cardiovascular disease and diabetes."
"This is an association, not a causal finding, but it requires further study," Wallace said. "Most regulators may say that long-term, low-level exposure to BPA isn't harmful, and they may be right, but there is enough evidence here to suggest more research needs to be done."
At the meeting, FDA scientist Laura Tarantino repeated the agency's long-standing position that exposure to the chemical is safe.
"A margin of safety exists that is adequate to protect consumers, including infants and children, at the current levels of exposure," she told the meeting.
The American Chemistry Council, which represents the chemical industry, says the new study is a statistical analysis that attempts to correlate urinary concentrations of bisphenol A, which reflect very recent exposure, with the incidence of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
The council argues that the onset and development of these diseases occurred over time periods well before the bisphenol A exposure measurements were made.
"Because of this and other inherent limitations, the study is not capable of establishing a cause and effect relationship between bisphenol A and these health effects," the council said, adding that more research is needed.
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