According to a study in the September 17 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and liver-enzyme abnormalities can now be associated with the harm caused by Bisphenol A, also known as BPA, a chemical compound commonly used in plastic packaging and bottles.

BPA is an organic compound with an annual production of approximately 3 million tones. It is an important monomer in the production of polycarbonate. BPA is used in the making of common products including baby and water bottles, sports equipment, medical devices, CDs, and household electronics.

Beginning in 2008, several governments issued reports questioning its actual safety; therefore some retailers even pulled products made from it off their shelves.

David Melzer, M.B., Ph.D., of Peninsula Medical School, Exeter, U.K., and his colleagues examined connections between urinary BPA concentrations and the health status of adults, using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2004. The survey included 1,455 adults, age 18 through 74 years, with measured urinary BPA concentrations. The study's authors wrote that their work could not definitively prove that BPA had a part in causing the diseases.

"Cigarette use was not proven to be harmful through evidence gained via a randomized clinical trial - the gold standard for proof in clinical medicine," said Dr. John Farquhar of Stanford University School of Medicine professor of health research and policy.

The chemical’s defenders, most prominently the chemical industry itself, argue that the average dose of BPA is far too low to be toxic, and that in any case, there have never been human studies implicating the chemical as dangerous. But this study published on Tuesday messes with their promises, though. "This isn't just any old epidemiological study — this is a national survey," says Frederick vom Saal, a biologist at the University of Missouri and a hefty opponent of BPA, who also wrote an editorial accompanying the JAMA study. "This carries greater weight," he explained.

The Food And Drug Administration (FDA) has the ability to limit the use of BPA in food containers and medical devices, but in last month’s released report, the FDA concluded that BPA exposure is not enough to warrant action. The findings are certain to create a stir Tuesday when the FDA holds a public hearing in Rockville to discuss whether BPA is safe for continued use in food packaging and liquid containers.

Participants were divided into four groups based on BPA urine amounts and more than 90 percent had detectable BPA in their urine. A total of 79 had heart attacks, chest pain or other types of cardiovascular disease and 136 had diabetes, according to The Associated Press. The researchers said it was too early to identify the mechanism used by the chemical in order to do harm.