So far, the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) has been linked to numerous health problems including weight gain, anxiety/depression, infertility, and heart disease. A new study may be adding another health concern to this list—kidney damage.

The researchers found that even low levels of bisphenol A (BPA) in children and adolescents was associated with an increase in a marker for kidney disease and other health problems.

In the new study, researchers from the NYU School of Medicine, analyzed data on 710 children and adolescents aged 6 to 19 collected in a 2009 national health survey of adults and children in the United States.

The data contained measurements on urinary BPA, and a protein called albumin, which is not normally found in urine. The presence of albumin in the urine is a marker for kidney damage and is thought to contribute to the formation of some diseases, including heart disease.

The data revealed that children with the highest amounts of BPA in their urine samples had more albumin in their urine compared to kids with the lowest BPA levels. The presence of albumin suggests that these kids may face a higher risk for heart and kidney disease later in life.

BPA Exposure

Children in the United States are exposed to the chemical early in life and surveys have shown that by age six nearly 92% of children have some trace of BPA in their urine. BPA is banned in Europe and Canada but still widely used in the U.S. in everything from canned food liners to cash register receipts. The U.S. only bans BPA use in baby bottles and sippy cups.

Food represents the single largest source of BPA exposure for kids and adolescents say researchers. Studies had already linked BPA to heart disease in adults before the NYU study found evidence of elevated markers for heart disease in children.

For more on this topic, read: The Low Down on BPA: The Facts You Need to Know.

Sources:

New York University School of Medicine

CBS News