Cohort Study Associates High Residential Radon With Elevated Heart Failure Incidence in Postmenopausal Women
An observational cohort links higher estimated radon exposure to increased heart failure risk in postmenopausal women, with effect size similar to established risk factors. The design supports association but cannot establish causation or mitigation benefit. Next-step evidence requires randomized household intervention trials with clinical endpoints.
The study followed participants from the Women's Health Initiative for up to three decades, assigning exposure via county-level radon predictions rather than household measurements. Incident heart failure was ascertained through hospital records and death certificates. The association was stronger among ever-smokers, yet remained after adjustment for traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Absolute incidence rates were not reported, limiting direct translation to individual risk.
Sources (2)
- [1]Primary Source(https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.42391)
- [2]Supporting Source(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28993031/)