New study links high BPA level with type II diabetes

Local doctors found a high level of bisphenol A (BPA) in blood can increase the risk of type II diabetes. The discovery was published in the latest issue of Annals of Internal Medicine published in the United States, Shanghai Ruijin Hospital said Wednesday. The discovery can help the research on BPA, an organic compound used in many consumer products, but its negative effects on human health have not been proven with any solid evidence so far, the hospital said. Currently, many countries including the US and China have banned the use of BPA in feeding bottles and food containers for babies. As concern rises about BPA's potential hazard to child health, people also began to discuss its effects on adults. Ruijin Hospital doctors carried out a research to study the relationship between exposure to BPA and type II diabetes. The research found 87.7 percent of Chinese over 40 have BPA in their urine, averaging 0.81ng per milliliter. When the BPA level reaches 1.43ng per milliliter, the risk of diabetes grows significantly.