Doctors may soon screen blood for cancer-causing ‘forever chemicals,‘ according to government guidelines. Studies show that 98% of Americans have PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl compounds); thus, the CDC’s recommendation doesn’t detect them in blood. Instead, the CDC thinks these tests will help doctors grasp the problem’s scope and offer appropriate risk reduction options. PFAS, or ‘forever chemicals,’ injure organs by remaining in the body.
The CDC recommends blood tests for ‘Forever Chemicals as a silent health crisis sweeps the nation.
Since the 1930s, PFAS have been used to line water bottles, contaminate food, and make cookware non-stick. The CDC advises patients and clinicians to address PFAS concerns and blood testing advantages. The CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health director, Dr. Aaron Bernstein, advises concerned people and communities to discuss PFAS exposure with their doctors.
Only in the past decade have scientists begun to explore the long-term implications of PFAS poisoning. Manufacturing waste, industrial dumping, and rainfall can pollute drinking water with PFAS. Factory PFAS emissions contribute to air pollution. These chemicals coat food packaging and have been found in fresh fruit cultivated with PFAS-laden water, making them ubiquitous throughout the food chain.
PFAS chemicals may cause liver and thyroid malfunction, pregnancy issues, and cancer metastasis, according to a Yale University study. The CDC’s new recommendation encourages patients and doctors to address PFAS exposure risks and blood tests to determine therapy or prevention. Consider the patient’s exposure history, water, food, and other exposure sources when ordering PFAS testing.
Hidden Dangers in the Tap: CDC Sounds Alarm on PFAS in US Water, Linked to Health Crisis
Recent investigations show that over half of US tap water sources contain harmful PFAS, with the highest concentrations in some places. Studies reveal bottled water may have PFAS. Disease and pregnancy difficulties are increased in cities with high tap water ‘forever chemicals’ levels.
Most neighborhoods with elevated PFAS levels in drinking water had more cancer diagnoses, deaths, and dangerously low-weight newborns than the national average. CDC advice addresses the silent health epidemic of PFAS exposure.