Millions of Americans have high blood pressure, a condition that can cause heart attack or stroke if left untreated. Generally, this condition is believed to be caused mostly by diet. Yet now, a stranger potential culprit has emerged: a synthetic chemical that is in thousands of consumer products, kitchenware, and even microwave popcorn bags, and which may be contributing to hypertension or high blood pressure.
These man-made "forever chemicals" — so named because of their ability to break down — are known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, shortened to PFAS. They are used in everything from non-stick cookware and fast food wrappers to furniture and paper packaging. Indeed, PFAS appear to enter our blood in part of their utter ubiquity in industrial civilization.
