Electric blankets
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Studies and Reports
- Kabat G et al., Electric blanket use and breast cancer on Long Island, Epidemiology. 2003 Sep;14(5):514-20.
- Conclusion. "The results of this large investigation are consistent with those of most previous studies, and do not support the hypothesis that electric blanket use is associated with increased breast cancer risk."
- Gammon M et al., Electric blanket use and breast cancer risk among younger women, Am J Epidemiol. 1998 Sep 15;148(6):556-63.
- Abstract. "To investigate whether use of electric blankets, one of the largest sources of electromagnetic field exposure in the home, is associated with the risk of female breast cancer, the authors analyzed data from a population-based US case-control study. The 2,199 case patients were under age 55 years and had been newly diagnosed with breast cancer between 1990 and 1992. The 2,009 controls were frequency-matched to cases by 5-year age group and geographic area. There was little or no risk associated with ever having used electric blankets, mattress pads, or heated water beds among women under age 45 years (adjusted odds ratio = 1.01, 95% confidence interval 0.86-1.18) or among women aged > or =45 years (adjusted odds ratio = 1.12, 95% confidence interval 0.87-1.43). There was no substantial variation in risk with duration of use; with whether the appliance was used only to warm the bed or used throughout the night; with menopausal status; or with the cases' hormone receptor status or stage of disease. Potential breast cancer risk factors that were associated with electric blanket use did not substantially confound the associations under investigation. These data do not support the hypothesis that electric blanket use increases breast cancer risk among women under age 55 years."
- Preston-Martin S et al., Myelogenous leukemia and electric blanket use, Bioelectromagnetics. 1988;9(3):207-13.
- Abstract. "In a case-control study of adult acute and chronic myelogenous leukemia in Los Angeles County, we tested the hypothesis that excess exposure to electromagnetic fields from electric blankets was associated with risk of leukemia. We did this by studying 116 cases of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and 108 cases of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) along with matched neighborhood controls. The cases and controls were queried as to electric blanket use and the risks computed. For AML the risk was 0.9 (95% CI 0.5-1.6) and for CML the risk was 0.8 (95% CI 0.4-1.6). Cases did not differ from controls by duration of use, year of first regular use, year since last use, or socioeconomic status. Our best estimates of exposure indicate that electric blanket use increases overall exposure to electric fields by less than 50% and magnetic fields by less than 100%. We conclude that there is no major leukemogenic risk associated with electric blanket use in Los Angeles County."
Related Topics
Additional Resources
- Facts Versus Fears (Fourth Edition) A Review of the Greatest Unfounded Health Scares of Recent Times, American Council on Science and Health, September 28, 2004.
