TUESDAY, Nov. 10, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Higher indoor radon concentrations are associated with an increased risk for incident heart failure in postmenopausal women, according to a study published online Nov. 5 in JAMA Network Open.
Shu Chen, from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, and colleagues assessed whether indoor radon concentrations are associated with incident heart failure among U.S. postmenopausal women. The analysis included 43,188 postmenopausal women (aged 50 to 79 years) seen at one of 40 U.S. clinical centers.
The researchers found that during a mean follow-up of 16.2 years, the fully adjusted risk for heart failure was elevated (hazard ratio [HR], 1.19) at >4 pCi/L versus <2 pCi/L, with findings persisting in sensitivity analyses. For radon concentrations >4 pCi/L, risk was higher for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HR, 1.24) and heart failure mortality (HR, 1.37) compared with <2 pCi/L. Risk from radon concentrations >4 pCi/L was equivalent to a 16-mmHg increase in systolic blood pressure or an increase of 4.8 in body mass index.
"Heart failure is a globally burdensome and increasingly common form of cardiovascular disease among aging women," Chen said in a statement. "Identifying readily testable and modifiable factors, like home radon levels, that may be related to it in this at-risk population is critical."
One author disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
