Read the full article by Kathleen Jordan (WMTW)
“PORTLAND, Maine — New research funded by the National Institutes of Health could help answer important questions about how exposure to so-called forever chemicals could affect the long-term health of children.
MaineHealth pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Abby Fleisch has received a grant from the NIH to study whether exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) early in life could increase a person’s risk of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
PFAS are found in everything from non-stick cookware to food packaging. They don’t easily break down in the environment or the body, and elevated levels in waterways and ground have led to dozens of eating restrictions on fish and deer harvested in parts of Maine.
New research highlighted by the American Heart Association found that exposure to PFAS before birth may increase blood pressure later in childhood, thus raising the risk that a person will develop heart disease.”…