University Study Finds a Link Between Chemicals in Non-Stick Cookware and Osteoporosis in Older Women

Naila Khalil, an assistant professor of community health at the Boonshoft School of Medicine at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, is the lead author of a new study that finds that chemicals used to make non-stick cookware and stain-resistant and waterproof fabrics have found their way into the bloodstreams of 95 percent of Americans. The study shows that post-menopausal women who have high levels of these chemicals in their systems tend to have lower bone density and therefore have a higher incidence of osteoporosis. Women with osteoporosis have weaker and more brittle bones and are more likely to have bone fractures.

Dr. Khalil said that “we found significant negative associations between bone health and some of the PFAS compounds in post-menopausal women. Further research is needed to confirm the study findings and determine what they may mean for public health.”

Dr. Khalil earned a medical degree and a master of public health degree in Pakistan. She holds a Ph.D. in environmental epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh.

The study “Association of Perfluoroalkyl Substances, Bone Mineral Density and Osteoporosis in the U.S. Population in NHANES 2009-2010” was published on the website of the monthly journal Environmental Health Perspectives. It may be downloaded by clicking here.