14 DAY TRIAL // A paper published in a recent issue of the open-access scientific journal PLoS ONE suggests that high concentrations of tungsten in the human body may cause a doubling in stroke risk, even in patients who do not have preexisting heart conditions.
In the study, experts from the European Center for Environment and Human Health at the University of Exeter Medical School measured tungsten concentrations in urine samples collected from 8,614 participants via the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).
One of the most significant discoveries made in the new study was that higher-than-average tungsten levels were strongly correlated with a doubling in stroke risks for people under the age of 50, EurekAlert reports.
“We're not yet sure why some members of the population have higher levels of the metal in their make-up, and an important step in understanding and preventing the risks it may pose to health will be to get to the bottom of how it's ending up in our bodies,” says lead study author Dr. Jessice Tyrrell, from the ECEHH.