Scientists have found a link between plastic exposure and cardiac arrhythmias.

Every day we pick up plastic bottles, receipts, cosmetics — and we don't even think that chemicals that can alter the functioning of the heart enter the body through them. A University of Cincinnati study has shown for the first time that exposure to phenols, particularly bisphenol A (BPA), is associated with impaired myocardial electrical activity. This was reported in the journal Medical Xpress.

The scientists recalled that bisphenol A is found in water bottles, the inner coating of cans, cash receipts, eyeglass lenses, baby bottles, and even cosmetics. All of these compounds belong to the group of phenols, chemicals that humans come into contact with on a daily basis.

"Phenols are a broad group of substances. The most famous example is BPA," explained Hong—Shen Wang, professor of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neurobiology at the University of Cincinnati.

As part of the study, the researchers analyzed the data of 600 participants by conducting urine and electrocardiogram (ECG) tests. It turned out that higher levels of BPA correlated with changes in heart rhythms.

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"The electrical conduction of the heart literally keeps us alive. If it is disrupted even a little bit, it can lead to instant death," said Jack Rubinstein, professor of the Department of Cardiovascular Diseases and cardiologist at UC Health.

Rubinstein concluded that at the same time, the researchers emphasized that healthy people, as a rule, are not at risk. If a person has a genetic predisposition or is elderly, such changes can trigger serious problems.

On October 14, scientists from the University Medical Center of Göttingen reported that changes in heart rate can predict the effectiveness of treating severe depression using magnetic brain stimulation. The study was conducted using accelerated intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS), an advanced form of transcranial magnetic stimulation.

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