Researchers will meet at the Society of Toxicology's Annual Meeting and ToxExpo March 10-16 to discuss a number of health concerns that have received growing public attention over the past several months. In one of the presentations, scientists will explore how the development of an epidemiological database that focuses on recent arsenic related exposures might affect the risk assessment of arsenic in food. While epidemiological studies have established the disease risk to low level exposures, basic research has lagged behind in demonstrating a mechanism for the disease. Presenters will also talk about the occurrence of various forms of arsenic found in foods and their potential exposures. Another presenter will talk about research findings that suggest that exposures at younger ages have a disproportionately great affect than exposures at older ages.
In another session, scientists will talk about recent findings that suggest that salt reduction tends to increase the levels of hormones, cholesterol and triglycerides, which are all thought to be risk factors for heart disease. Some have asserted that while the risks of consuming too much salt are real, the risks have been exaggerated for the general population or that the studies done on the consumption of salt can be interpreted in many different ways.