Exposure to the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) through the consumption of canned beverages may significantly increase an individual’s blood pressure in a relatively short time-frame, according to a study published Dec. 8 in Hypertension.

Used in the production of polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins, including plastic bottles, food containers, optical discs, dental fillings, and on the inner coating of cans, BPA exposure is widespread, detected in over 95 percent of the U.S. population. With previous studies finding an association between BPA and cardiovascular disorders such as hypertension, a new investigation led by Sanghyuk Bae, MD, Department of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Heart Center, Seoul National University, Republic of Korea, sought to determine whether the BPA in the epoxy lining of can containers could leach into food and affect blood pressure and heart rate variability.

Conducting a randomized crossover intervention trial with non-institutionalized adults ≥60 years, Bae et al. had 60 participants visit their study site three times, where they were each provided the same beverage in two glass bottles, two cans, and or one can and one glass bottle at a time. Randomizing the sequence of beverage, the authors measured urinary PBA concentration, blood pressure, and heart rate variability two hours after the consumption of each beverage. Results showed that BPA concentration increased after consuming canned beverages by >1,600 percent compared to consuming glass bottled beverages. Systolic blood pressure adjusted for daily variance also increased by about 4.5 mmHg after consuming two canned beverages compared to consuming two glass bottled beverages. The parameters of the heart rate variability did not show statistically significant differences.

“Considering that the use of epoxy resin for inner coating of canned food and BPA exposure from consumption of canned food are almost ubiquitous, the consequent increase of blood pressure poses a substantial public health risk,” the authors note. Based on their findings, the authors conclude that “more stringent measures should be considered to prevent exposure to BPA.”

Keywords: Adult, Beverages, Blood Pressure, Epoxy Resins, Food Packaging, Heart Rate, Phenols, Plastics, Polycarboxylate Cement, Polymers, Public Health

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