' Hidden Killer ' Radon Could Raise Your Stroke Risk
By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY , Feb . 1 , 2024 ( HealthDay News ) Source : https :// www . medicinenet . com / hidden _ killer _ radon _ could _ raise _ your _ stroke _ risk / news . htm
Radon , an invisible , naturally occurring radioactive gas , appears to raise a person ' s risk of stroke , a new study suggests .
Already known as the second leading cause of lung cancer , these new findings suggest exposure to radon can increase risk of stroke by as much as 14 %, according to a report published Jan . 31 in the journal Neurology .
“ Our research found an increased risk of stroke among participants exposed to radon above -- and as many as two picocuries per liter ( pCi / L ) below -- concentrations that usually trigger Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) recommendations to install a home radon mitigation system ,” said researcher Dr . Eric Whitsel , a professor of epidemiology and medicine at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill .
Radon is produced when metals like uranium or radium break down in rocks and soil , researchers said . The gas can make its way into homes through gaps around pipes and cracks in basement walls and floors .
For the new study , researchers tracked nearly 159,000 women with an average age of 63 , none of whom had suffered a stroke at the start of the study .