High levels of indoor radon linked to higher risk of heart failure in postmenopausal women
· Medical Xpressby UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health
edited by Gaby Clark, reviewed by Robert Egan
Gaby Clark
Scientific Editor
Meet our editorial team
Behind our editorial process
Robert Egan
Senior Editor
Meet our editorial team
Behind our editorial process Editors' notes
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:
fact-checked
peer-reviewed publication
trusted source
proofread
The GIST Add to Preferred Sources
New findings from a study of women who have gone through menopause suggest that those living in areas with higher estimated indoor radon levels may be at higher risk of heart failure. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, was led by researchers at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and adds the newest evidence that radon exposure may pose a significant risk to heart health among aging women.
Radon has long been linked to lung cancer, but a growing body of research has also uncovered links between increased radon exposure and common cardiovascular diseases like heart attack and stroke. Yet current United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) radon policy remains exclusively focused on preventing lung cancer, highlighting the continued importance of radon-cardiovascular disease association studies.
"Heart failure is a globally burdensome and increasingly common form of cardiovascular disease among aging women," said lead author Shu Chen, a research collaborator in the Gillings School's Department of Epidemiology, "so identifying readily testable and modifiable factors, like home radon levels, that may be related to it in this at-risk population is critical."
Radon is a colorless and odorless yet radioactive gas that passes from bedrock and soil through basement floor slabs, porous or cracked foundation walls and crawl spaces into homes where it can build up. Currently, the EPA recommends testing all homes and reducing radon levels greater than 4 picocuries per liter of indoor air (pCi/L), a process called "mitigation." Recent data suggest that approximately one-quarter of the U.S. population may reside in places that exceed this level.
In the study, which involved more than 43,000 postmenopausal women with an average age of 63, those living in areas with estimated indoor radon levels greater than 4 pCi/L had a higher risk of heart failure than those living in areas with levels below 2 pCi/L, particularly among women with a history of smoking.
Notably, the radon-related risk of heart failure was similar to that associated with substantial increases in systolic blood pressure and body mass index, two established heart failure risk factors.
Eric A. Whitsel, M.D., MPH, senior author of the study and professor of epidemiology at the Gillings School, emphasized that "the cardiovascular health benefits of radon mitigation remain unknown." Despite that, he also noted that "the benefits are plausible and may be analogous to the once-unrecognized benefits of smoking cessation, long before cigarette and environmental tobacco smoke were identified as risk factors for nonpulmonary disease."
Chen added that "EPA-recommended testing is simple, and reducing radon exposure benefits everyone who lives in the home."
The EPA provides information on radon test kits on its website. Kits can also be found in home improvement stores and sometimes through state-funded radon programs, such as the one in the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
Publication details
Shu Chen et al., Indoor Radon and Incident Heart Failure Among Postmenopausal Women, JAMA Network Open (2026). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.42391
Journal information: JAMA Network Open
Key medical concepts
Clinical categories
CardiologyWomen's healthCommon illnesses & PreventionHealthy agingPreventive medicineHealthy living Provided by UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health Who's behind this story?
Gaby Clark
MA in English, copy editor since 2021 with experience in higher education and health content. Dedicated to trustworthy science news. Full profile →
Robert Egan
Bachelor's in mathematical biology, Master's in creative writing. Well-traveled with unique perspectives on science and language. Full profile →
Citation: High levels of indoor radon linked to higher risk of heart failure in postmenopausal women (2026, November 5) retrieved 5 November 2026 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-high-indoor-radon-linked-higher.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.