Environment and health
Study links higher indoor radon levels with heart failure risk in postmenopausal women
In a study of more than 43,000 postmenopausal women, higher estimated indoor radon exposure was associated with higher heart failure risk.
A cohort study published in JAMA Network Open found that postmenopausal women living in areas with higher estimated indoor radon levels had a higher risk of heart failure. Medical Xpress reported that the study included more than 43,000 women with an average age of 63. Women in areas with levels greater than 4 pCi/L had higher risk than those in areas below 2 pCi/L, particularly if they had a history of smoking.
The researchers reported that the radon-related risk was similar to the risk associated with substantial increases in systolic blood pressure and body mass index. The study assessed an association and does not establish that radon exposure caused heart failure. The senior author said the cardiovascular health benefits of radon mitigation remain unknown. Medical Xpress reported that the EPA recommends testing homes and reducing radon levels greater than 4 picocuries per liter of indoor air.
