‘Forever chemicals’ linked to devastating, lifelong condition
New York Post••health
Key Points:
- New research links exposure to two environmental toxins, PFOS and PCBs, with approximately double the odds of being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic autoimmune disease affecting the central nervous system.
- The study analyzed blood samples from 900 recently diagnosed MS patients in Sweden and found that higher combined exposure to these chemicals increased MS risk, even after accounting for lifestyle and genetic factors.
- Researchers discovered a complex interaction between genetic traits and chemical exposure, where individuals with a gene variant previously thought to lower MS risk had increased odds of MS if exposed to elevated PFOS levels.
- These findings add to growing evidence that “forever chemicals” like PFOS and PCBs, which persist in the environment and accumulate in the human body,
