The team followed participants for an average of 13 years , during which there were nearly 7,000 strokes .
Researchers used participants ' home addresses to gather radon concentration data from the U . S . Geological Survey and the EPA .
EPA standards recommend that average indoor radon concentrations do not exceed four pCi / L , researcher said . If levels go that high , the agency recommends installing a system to lower radon levels in the home .
Researchers divided participants into three groups – those with concentrations that exceeded the EPA limit , those with levels between two and four pCi / L , and those with levels of less than two pCi / L .
The group with the highest radon exposures had 349 strokes per 100,000 person-years , compared to 343 strokes in the middle group and 333 strokes in the group with lowest exposure .
Put another way , participants in the high radon group had a 14 % increased risk of stroke compared to the lowest group , and the middle group had a 6 % increased risk .
“ It ' s important to note that we found an increased stroke risk among those exposed to radon concentrations as much as two pCi / L below the current lung cancer-based threshold for recommending radon mitigation ,” Whitsel said in a journal news release . “ More studies are needed to confirm our findings . Confirmation would present an opportunity to improve public health by addressing an emerging risk factor for stroke ."
More information The U . S . Environmental Protection Agency has more about radon . SOURCE : American Academy of Neurology , news release , Jan . 31 , 2024
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