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It’s no secret that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. But how many people realize that fluoride-which is still added to many municipal water supplies in the U.S.-is linked to heart disease?

In a new study published in the journal Nuclear Medicine Communicationsi, researchers found that fluoride may be associated with an increased cardiovascular risk as it causes hardening of your arteries.

Reviewing the imaging data and cardiovascular history of patients who received whole-body sodium fluoride PET scans, the researchers found a significant correlation between a history of cardiovascular events and presence of fluoride uptake in coronary arteries.

While there are certainly many factors contributing to the rise in heart disease-poor diet likely being the most important-it certainly doesn’t help to add a chemical to water supplies that will be consumed by everyone in the area regardless of health status, from toddlers to seniors, that might contribute to the problem.

The primary issue here is that there’s a lack of evidence supporting the use of fluoride, and an awful lot of evidence stacked against the indiscriminate use of it, including these latest findings.

The practice of adding fluoride to tap water began in 1945. With more than 70 percent of U.S. public water supplies currently fluoridated, chances are you’re one of the 170 million Americans who drink and bathe in fluoride on a daily basis.ii