Search Foodconsumer & Others
Newsfeed
Su
bmit news[release]
More than 100 credit cards available at uscards.com 
|
|
|
Last Updated: Apr 20, 2011 - 9:38:09 AM |
SATURDAY April 19, 2008 (Foodconsumer.org) – Regular exposure to formaldehyde may increase the risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, according to new research presented on April 16 at the American Academy of Neurology 60th Anniversary Annual Meeting in Chicago.
Formaldehyde is a reactive chemical that has been recognized as a human carcinogen. The chemical is found in building materials, smoking, household products, and the use of un-vented, fuel-burning appliances, like gas stoves or kerosene space heaters.
ALS is a progressive, usually fatal, neurodegenerative disease caused by the degeneration of motor neurons, the nerve cells in the central nervous system that control voluntary muscle movement, according to wikipedia. The illness is rare, affecting 1 or 2 per 100,000 people every year.
For the current study, Marc Weisskopf, PhD, of Harvard University in Boston and colleagues followed over one million people who participating in the Cancer Prevention Study II of the American Cancer Society for their exposure to 12 types of chemicals including formaldehyde.
During the 15-year follow-up, a total 617 men and 539 women died from ALS.
The researchers found no association between exposure to most chemicals including pesticides and herbicides and risk of ALS.
But they did find those who had regular exposure to formaldehyde were 34 percent more likely to develop Lou Gehrig's disease than those without exposure to the chemical.
"Although this finding could well be a chance observation, it merits further investigation, particularly because people with longer exposure to formaldehyde had a greater risk of developing ALS than those with shorter exposures," said Dr. Weisskopf.
"People who reported 10 or more years of exposure were almost four times as likely to develop ALS as those with no exposure."
But Weisskopf said the results are preliminary and more research is needed to confirm the association between ALS and exposure to formaldehyde.
Although formaldehyde is classified as a carcinogen, its use has not been banned in the United States.
© 2004-2008 by foodconsumer.org unless otherwise specified
Top of Page
Search Consumer-friendly Health Sites
|
|
|
|