BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Today the FDA convened a meeting to discuss the safety of a chemical found in plastics called Bisphenol A or BPA .

BPA is so prevalent that more than 90 percent of Americans test positive for the chemical. Among the studies the FDA will consider is brand new research linking BPA to an increase in the risk for heart disease and diabetes in adults.

The chemical Bisphenol A has been used for over 50 years to strengthen plastics in food containers, baby bottles, medical devices and sports equipment.

But studies have shown that BPA also mimics estrogen in the body, and animal research has linked these effects to widespread hormone disruption and developmental abnormalities in infants.

Now a new study has offered the first serious evidence that BPA might be harmful to adults as well.

Researchers studied urine samples from more than 1,400 American adults and found that those with the highest amounts of BPA in their systems were more likely to have heart disease and diabetes.

Experts cautioned the findings don't yet prove that BPA is at fault, as those with high levels of BPA typically had other risk factors for heart disease and diabetes, such as more obesity and higher cholesterol.