Scientists reveal stunning death toll linked to products we use every day: 'A tremendous danger to human health'
Researchers from New York University Langone Health conducted an analysis that focused on the chemical di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate, or DEHP, which is used in food containers, medical equipment, and other soft, flexible plastic products.
The researchers analyzed population surveys from 200 countries and territories, which contained data about urine samples contaminated with byproducts left by DEHP.
"Exposure has been shown in other studies to prompt an overactive immune response (inflammation) in the heart's arteries, which over time is associated with increased risk of heart attack or stroke," they said.
Results from the study, published in the journal Lancet eBioMedicine, estimate that DEHP exposure accounted for 356,238 deaths, over 13% of the world's mortality from heart disease in women and men between the ages of 55 and 64 in 2018.
About three-fourths of that death toll came from East Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the Pacific, likely because they are in a manufacturing boom in plastic production and don't have as many regulations as other regions.
"By highlighting the connection between phthalates and a leading cause of death across the world, our findings add to the vast body of evidence that these chemicals present a tremendous danger to human health," said Sara Hyman, lead author and associate research scientist at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
The study didn't include other age groups or look at other phthalates. Because of this, senior author Leonardo Trasande believes the death rate connected to DEHP could be much higher.
Phthalates are often digested when they break down into microplastics. Experts have warned that this causes a range of health issues, including fertility issues, obesity, diabetes, and some cancers.
According to CNN, the chemicals are "often called 'everywhere chemicals' because they are so common."
Do you worry about having toxic forever chemicals in your home?
Majorly
Sometimes
Not really
I don't know enough about them
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.
Unfortunately, you can come in contact with these chemicals in many ways, including food and drinks that come in contact with plastic and the air you breathe.
"Our results underscore the urgent need for global regulations to reduce exposure to these toxins," said Dr. Trasande.
While regulations are catching up, you can use less plastic to limit your exposure to these toxic chemicals. For example, ditch the plastic water bottles for a cute reusable bottle. It will help keep you and your family safe and healthy.
Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Why you're struggling to stay awake during the day - and how to feel more alert
For millions of people, fighting to stay awake at their desk, on the commute home, or even mid-conversation is a daily struggle. Now, scientists believe the reason why some people are far more prone to overwhelming drowsiness may be due to their diet and hormones. Researchers have identified seven metabolites, which are naturally occurring chemicals in the blood, that appear to influence a person's risk of Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS). EDS, also known as hypersomnia, affects around one in four Britons, and is linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes. A new study, emerging from Mass General Brigham and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in the US, suggested that diet and hormones may affect hypersomnia. The findings, published in Lancet eBioMedicine, used blood samples from more than 6,000 people who took part in a long-term health study, alongside questionnaires assessing how often participants fell asleep during the day. Seven metabolites were associated with EDS, with three additional metabolites found to vary by sex, the study found. These include tyramine, which is present in fermented and overripe foods. This was linked to increased drowsiness, particularly in men. Foods high in tyramine: Aged cheeses Cured and smoked meats Fermented foods Overripe fruits Pickled foods Red wine The researchers also found that sex steroid metabolites, such as progesterone, were associated with sleep-related processes, including melatonin production. On the other hand, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, commonly found in Mediterranean-style diets, were linked to a lower risk of excessive sleepiness, according to the research. Foods high in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids: Fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines and tuna Shellfish Walnuts Flaxseeds Eggs Poultry Whole-grain breads and cereals Dr Tariq Faquih, the study's lead author, said: 'Our study suggests diet and genetics may play an important role in EDS. As we learn what's happening biologically, we are beginning to understand how and why EDS occurs, the early signs that someone might have it, and what we can do to help patients.' The researchers said the results point to potential treatment targets for EDS, suggesting dietary changes and new medications may be possible. According to the NHS, hypersomnia is different from simply feeling tired. People with the condition may regularly nap during the day, fall asleep without warning, or still sleep for long hours at night. It can sometimes be linked to conditions such as narcolepsy, sleep apnoea, restless legs syndrome, depression, or chronic fatigue syndrome. The NHS advises improving sleep habits by going to bed at the same time each night, cutting back on alcohol and caffeine, creating a peaceful sleep environment and avoiding late-night working.
Medscape
7 days ago
- Medscape
Too Sick to Work? Consider the Patients, Says Ethicist
This transcript has been edited for clarity. Hi, I'm Art Caplan. I'm at the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. I have to admit, I was a little taken aback by a story that came out about a doctor, recently, treating patients when he had the measles. This physician in Texas basically was praised by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert Jr, as an extraordinary healer going to work and being in the clinic, despite the fact that he actually apparently had a rash from the measles on his face. He self-reported that he had some symptoms beforehand, meaning he was highly infectious. What's going on? On the one hand, you certainly — I think — don't really want to go to work with an infectious disease as infectious as measles, and we know that measles iscertainly a problem in Texas and other states where it's spreading. I think it's important that you put the ability to contain the spread of any infectious disease as a high priority not to go to work. At the same time, there are some tough issues here. Physicians, I know, are told starting with medical school, 'Yeah, you may not feel well, but it's important to come to work.'It's just part of the culture, part of the ethic, and in some ways, I'll even go so far as to say virtuous. Come sick. Push through. Do what you can. Patients need you. Your colleagues need you. Indeed, a survey that was done by the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia of 280 attendings from many different fields found that while 95% of doctors said in their survey that working sick could put their patient at risk, 83% said they went to work sick at least once in the past year. The survey further revealed facts that I think are probably in the minds of many who wake up, don't feel well, and are thinking about what to do. Why did they go into work? They didn't want to let their colleagues down, said 98%. They had concerns that staffing wouldn't be there anda patient might need the doctor, 94%. Not wanting to let the patients down, 92%. Concerns about continuity of care for a patient, 65%. This is not a problem that is easily resolved just by saying, 'If you feel sick, don't go to work.' How would I think it through? Let me suggest a way to approach it. I think, first of all, if you're sick, you should raise the question in your own mind,should I go to work? That is a starting point. If you don't feel well, I think you have to ask, can I do the job? Am I too sick? Some of these people are going to work and they have very bad diarrhea, intestinal problems, or really massive migraines. Can they do what's being asked of them to do?You want to be thinking about if it is going to impair your performance. Second, is the reason I'm sick something that puts my patient at risk? Am I going to put my patient at risk? If I have the measles, an infectious disease, or the flu, I'd think much harder about going to work. While many people who do go to work want to help their patient, you're not going to help them if you make them sick. If they're vulnerable — say post-transplant, an immune disease, or elderly — they're in high-risk groups where you really might make them very ill or even cause a death. Is the source of my sickness impairing my performance? Is the source of my sickness something that I could put my patients at serious risk from? Last, can I get coverage? Can someone stand in? Is there ability to ask somebody to help me out?Can my practice or my unit get coverage going? Some places can't and some places can, but at least the opportunity to cover, I think, is something that ought to be explored if you really don't feel well. While I really am not going to endorse, even with the best of motives, going to work with a highly infectious disease that could really put patients at risk ,I do understand why, in many instances, you and other physicians may say, I am going to go to work. I'm not risking my patient. I can still do the job, despite not feeling well. I don't have any other coverage options. and my patients really need me today. Yes, let's try to be brave,courageous, and sacrifice, if you will, our own suffering and the ability to just stay home and get a more rapid recovery. Patients' interests matter, but we have to think carefully about if I am compromising the patients' interests. That's the circumstance under which maybe staying home might be best. I'm Art Caplan, at the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU Grossman School of for watching.
New York Post
04-08-2025
- New York Post
I've traveled the world to study brain health — here are 2 secrets to protecting against dementia
I'm going the extra mile for myelin. I travel the world to deliver neurological care in places with limited resources. Along the way, I have learned several important lessons about protecting brain health and preventing brain disease. My perspective was forever altered on one of my first trips to Uganda for the Department of Neurology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Advertisement I met a 14-year-old boy unable to move the left side of his body. Our medical team discovered the teen had undiagnosed and undetected HIV since birth. I was surprised to learn that HIV could be associated with stroke because it is an advanced feature of the virus that is infrequent in the US now. That knowledge changed my perceptions and attitudes towards brain health. Here is some wisdom from my visits to Uganda and Ghana, including two simple steps to halt and reverse brain damage. US vs the world The biggest difference in brain health challenges in the US and places like Ghana is simply access to care. Advertisement 3 Dr. Jaydeep Bhatt, director of the Division of Global Health for the Department of Neurology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, reveals two major lessons for preventing brain disease. Most Americans can see their primary care physician to screen for risk factors leading to brain disease. Most Ghanaians do not have this level of access, so they are silently living with many risk factors. That leads to brain disease manifesting as a stroke or some other preventable brain disorder. A major, under-the-radar risk factor One risk factor for dementia that doesn't get a lot of attention is undetected hearing loss. Hearing loss is common with age. The problem is that good hearing is crucial for feeding the language centers, primarily located in the left hemisphere of the brain, with the proper information to produce language. Advertisement If hearing loss is not detected in a timely fashion, there might be improper funneling of information to this language area, increasing the risk of memory loss and dementia. Screening timetables Patients should be screened for brain-related conditions such as cognitive decline and stroke risk at least once a year. A preventative primary care physician will measure blood pressure, heart rate and cholesterol levels. Cardiovascular brain damage is tricky because it often has no immediate warning signs. High blood pressure is known in medicine as a 'silent killer' because you don't feel it as you're walking around. Advertisement 3 Bhatt visited Ghana and Uganda to study brain health. High blood pressure causes arteries and veins to narrow, which decreases nourishment and blood flow to the brain. This leads to changes detectable by modern MRI. Thankfully, these changes are in silent regions of the brain, so you will not have a disability. However, over time, memory loss, dementia and other harmful brain diseases can develop. High cholesterol, along with high blood pressure, contributes to these very same changes because it leads to blockages in important arteries that feed your brain with blood. Physical inactivity fuels high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other cardiovascular risk factors. Fortunately, brain damage from poor cardiovascular health can be stalled and even reversed. The traditional risk factors of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and smoking are addressed by two behaviors — diet and exercise. Two ways to protect brain health When I traveled to Uganda and Ghana, one aspect of their diet that surprised me was their natural portion control. Advertisement The average Ghanaian and Ugandan meal is half or one-third the size of what we would expect of a meal in the US. American restaurants offer huge portions based on the idea that bigger is better, especially because it's more value for your money. But these larger meal sizes are just not meant for one person. So much of brain health is linked to the quality of your diet, including the amount you consume in one sitting. 3 The traditional risk factors of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and smoking are addressed by two behaviors — diet and exercise. Advertisement Smaller portions and a lack of snacking between meals are inherent to cultures in Uganda and Ghana. Just by making more modest food choices at home, you can lessen your risk of brain disease. The right type of diet is not specific to one culture. Dietary approaches to stop hypertension or Mediterranean diets are rich in fruits and whole grains with low salt and less saturated fat. Exercise, which can occur in many different forms, is also essential to brain health. Advertisement No matter what neurological disease you may have heard of, the rate and severity of that disease are lessened with regular exercise. Exercise crosses cultures — I've seen it manifested in different ways as I've traveled the world and delivered neurological care. The other aspect of the culture in Uganda and Ghana that really struck me — in a good way — was the lack of alcohol and cigarette use. Drinking less alcohol and smoking less are well-established behaviors that lead to better brain health. The vast majority of both populations do not regularly partake in these activities. Advertisement Follow these recommendations to protect your brain as you age — and consult your physician with any concerns. Dr. Jaydeep Bhatt is the director of the Division of Global Health for the Department of Neurology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
