There is evidence indicating that ingestion of arsenic may predispose the development of diabetes mellitus in arsenic-endemic areas in Taiwan. However, the prevalence of diabetes and related vascular diseases in the entire southwestern arseniasis-endemic and nonendemic areas remains to be elucidated. We used the National Health Insurance Database for 1999-2000 to derive the prevalence of non-insulin-dependent diabetes and related vascular diseases by age and sex among residents in southwestern arseniasis-endemic and nonendemic areas in Taiwan. The study included 66,667 residents living in endemic areas and 639,667 in nonendemic areas, all ≥ 25 years of age. The status of diabetes and vascular diseases was ascertained through disease diagnosis and treatment prescription included in the reimbursement claims of clinics and hospitals. The prevalence of non-insulin-dependent diabetes, age-and gender-adjusted to the general population in Taiwan, was 7.5% (95% confidence interval, 7.4-7.7%) in the arseniasis-endemic areas and 3.5% (3.5-3.6%) in the nonendemic areas. Among both diabetics and nondiabetics, higher prevalence of microvascular and macrovascular diseases was observed in arseniasis-endemic than in the nonendemic areas. Age-and gender-adjusted prevalence of microvascular disease in endemic and nonendemic areas was 20.0% and 6.0%, respectively, for diabetics, and 8.6% and 1.0%, respectively, for nondiabetics. The corresponding prevalence of macrovascular disease was 25.3% and 13.7% for diabetics, and 12.3% and 5.5% for nondiabetics. Arsenic has been suggested to increase the risk of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and its related micro-and macrovascular diseases.

Fish oil has been broadly reported as a potential supplement to ameliorate the severity of some skin disorders such as photoaging, skin cancer, allergy, dermatitis, cutaneous wounds, and melanogenesis. There has been increasing interest in the relationship of fish oil with skin protection and homeostasis, especially with respect to the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). The other PUFAs, such as α-linolenic acid (ALA) and linoleic acid (LA), also show a beneficial effect on the skin. The major mechanisms of PUFAs for attenuating cutaneous inflammation are the competition with the inflammatory arachidonic acid and the inhibition of proinflammatory eicosanoid production. On the other hand, PUFAs in fish oil can be the regulators that affect the synthesis and activity of cytokines for promoting wound healing. A systemic review was conducted to demonstrate the association between fish oil supplementation and the benefits to the skin. The following describes the different cosmetic and therapeutic approaches using fatty acids derived from fish oil, especially ALA, LA, DHA, and EPA. This review summarizes the cutaneous application of fish oil and the related fatty acids in the cell-based, animal-based, and clinical models. The research data relating to fish oil treatment of skin disorders suggest a way forward for generating advances in cosmetic and dermatological uses.

The aim of this study is to examine the association between transplacental exposure to dioxins/polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and thyroid and growth hormones in newborns. We recruited 118 pregnant women, between 25 and 34 years of age, at the obstetric clinic. Personal data collected included reproductive and medical histories and physical factors. Clinicians gathered placental and umbilical cord serum upon delivery and carefully scored the 118 newborns, making both structural and functional assessments. We analyzed placentas for 17 polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans and 12 dioxin-like PCB congeners with the World Health Organization–defined toxic equivalent factors, and six indicator PCBs by high-resolution gas chromatography and high-resolution mass spectrometry. We analyzed thyroid and growth hormones from cord serum using radioimmunoassay. Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1, IGF-binding globulin-3, and thyroxine × yroid-stimulating hormone (T4 × TSH) were significantly associated with increased placental weight and Quetelet index (in kilograms per square meter; correlation coefficient r = 0.2–0.3; p < 0.05). Multivariate analyses showed independently and significantly decreased free T4 (FT4) × TSH with increasing non-ortho PCBs (r = −0.2; p < 0.05). We suggest that significant FT4 feedback alterations to the hypothalamus result from in utero exposure to non-ortho PCBs. Considering the vast existence of bioaccumulated dioxins and PCBs and the resultant body burden in modern society, we suggest routine screening of both thyroid hormone levels and thyroid function in newborns.

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