The medicine is based on cholestyramine (Shutterstock)

An anti-cholesterol drug allows reducing the amount of "eternal pollutants" in the blood by 60% within 3 months, according to the results of a clinical trial conducted in Denmark.

Morten Lindhardt, a doctor at Holbaek Hospital in western Copenhagen, told Agence France-Presse, “The effect of the treatment is evident in a 63% decrease in the plasma rate, and approximately 3% of this decrease is related to the passage of time, while 60% is due to the drug.”

In other words, this drug based on Cholestyramine causes the blood to get rid of pollutants 20 times faster without intervention, according to the study published in the journal “Environment International.”

The researchers explained that these results have promising treatment potential for people who have been exposed to high doses, because these substances that accumulate in the body can be harmful to health, and may lead, for example, to weakening the immune response to vaccination, by affecting cholesterol levels or its association with cancer or obesity. .

rash

"If a person continues to be exposed to pollutants, I don't think they need to undergo this treatment constantly because of the side effects," which can appear in the form of a rash or abdominal pain, Lindhardt said.

But the drug helps eliminate the "poisoned feeling" that people with high levels of pollutants can feel.

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large family that includes about 4,000 chemical compounds.

Eternal pollutants

It is a group of industrial chemicals called "per- and polyfluoroalkyl" (PFAS).

PFAS compounds are called “forever chemicals” because they do not decompose naturally and accumulate in the bodies of humans and animals. They are considered among the substances that cause cancer, birth defects, liver disease, thyroid disease, decreased immunity, hormonal imbalance, and a number of problems. Other serious health problems.

PFAS are among about 9,000 compounds used to make products more resistant to water, stains and heat.

Due to their effectiveness, these chemicals are used in dozens of industries, and are found in thousands of products that we use daily, such as carpets, shoes, stain removers, waterproof clothing, cooking utensils, food packaging materials, cosmetics, firefighting foam, and toilet paper.

Source: French