Can PFAS from cookware and food packaging cause irregular heart rhythms?

What's actually in it

PFAS accumulate in cardiac tissue and affect how heart muscle cells handle ions like calcium and potassium. These ions control the electrical pulses that regulate heartbeat. Normal cardiac electrical signaling depends on precise ion channel function. Chemical disruption of these channels can cause the heart to beat irregularly.

Older adults accumulate more PFAS over decades of exposure and have less physiological reserve to compensate for disruptions. The combination of higher body burden and age-related cardiac vulnerability makes this population more sensitive to PFAS cardiac effects.

What the research says

A 2026 study in Environ Sci Technol measured serum PFAS concentrations in older adults and analyzed their electrocardiograms (ECGs). People with higher PFAS blood levels showed significantly higher rates of ECG abnormalities, including QT interval prolongation and other changes associated with arrhythmia risk.

The researchers also conducted electrophysiology experiments to identify the mechanism: specific PFAS compounds directly affected cardiac ion channels in ways that match the ECG changes observed in humans. This mechanistic confirmation strengthens the causal interpretation.

QT prolongation specifically increases the risk of a dangerous heart rhythm called torsades de pointes. This isn't a hypothetical risk: it's a documented pathway from ion channel disruption to life-threatening arrhythmia.

For people in middle age and older who have been accumulating PFAS for decades, reducing ongoing exposure helps slow further accumulation. The PFAS body burden declines slowly once exposure sources are removed. Switching from PFAS-coated cookware and food packaging to PFAS-free alternatives is the most impactful individual action.