Association between particulate matter 2.5 and diabetes mellitus: A meta‐analysis of cohort studies

Abstract

Aims/IntroductionThe present meta‐analysis was carried out to assess the association between exposure to the level of atmospheric particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5; fine particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm) and type 2 diabetes mellitus or gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).Materials and MethodsWe searched the Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane and Web of Science databases to obtain articles according to the responding literature search strategies. Among a total of 279 identified articles, 55 were reviewed in depth, of which 10 articles (11 cohort studies) satisfied the inclusion criteria. Only cohort studies that disclosed the association between PM2.5 and type 2 diabetes mellitus or GDM were included in this article. A fixed‐effects model was selected if P > 0.1 and I 2 < 50%; otherwise, a random‐effects model would be used to calculate the total effect value. Subgroup analysis was further carried out according to the types of diabetes mellitus (type 2 diabetes mellitus and GDM). The relative risk was used to estimate the association between PM2.5 and diabetes mellitus.ResultsThe positive associations between PM2.5 and the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus were found in the long‐term exposure period (relative risk 1.25, 95% confidence interval 1.10–1.43), which showed that with every 10‐μg/m3 increase in PM2.5, the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus would increase by 25% in the long‐term exposure. Although the significant associations were not identified between maternal exposure to PM2.5 and GDM in the first trimester, the second trimester and the entire pregnancy periods, we could conclude that maternal exposure to PM2.5 in the entire pregnancy period would be more likely to lead to developing GDM (relative risk 1.162, 95% confidence interval 0.806–1.675) than the other two periods.ConclusionsLong‐term exposure to PM2.5 would be more likely to lead to developing type 2 diabetes mellitus, but more studies would be required to confirm the association between PM2.5 and GDM. It might be a wise to take effective measures to reduce PM2.5 exposure in vulnerable populations, especially for pregnant women.

Association of Prenatal and Perinatal Exposures to Particulate Matter With Changes in Hemoglobin A1c Levels in Children Aged 4 to 6 Years

“…The inverse association observed at 4 to 5 years of age was not expected based on previous findings or proposed biological mechanisms. 5,[7][8][9]12,[26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34] We hypothesize that increased prenatal and perinatal exposure to PM 2.5 may alter glucose metabolism resulting in lower HbA 1c levels in early childhood (4-5 years) and higher HbA 1c levels in later childhood (6-7 years); however, the mechanism for these changes is unclear. For HbA 1c at age 4 to 5 years, we found negative associations in both boys and girls and no statistically significant association in the overall cohort.…”

“…Although there is growing literature on associations between air pollution components, including PM 2.5 , and glucose dysregulation and type 2 diabetes, 5,[7][8][9]12,[26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34] exposure in association with childhood HbA 1c changes. We characterized alterations in HbA 1c levels in children as young as 4 years, and our results suggested that the changes PM 2.5 may induce may be different prior to age 4 years compared with those after age 4 years as well as by sex.…”

“…Exposure to components of air pollution, including particulate matter with a diameter less than 2.5 μm (PM 2.5 ), has been shown to be associated with increased incidence and progression of type 2 diabetes in adults, [7][8][9] increased risk of childhood overweight status and obesity, 10,11 and glucose dysregulation in children. 12 However, the role of exposure timing in these associations is unclear.…”

Correlation between type 2 diabetes mellitus and air pollution with suspended particles

“…Результаты нескольких недавних метаанализов [10][11][12][13][14][15][16] позволили заключить, что загрязнение воздуха является фактором риска СД. Однако в 2 эпидемиологических исследованиях [17,18] не удалось выявить существенной ассоциации между уровнем загрязнения воздуха PM и заболеваемостью СД.…”

“…Системный анализ многочисленных эпидемиологических исследований позволил установить достоверную (p=0,022-0,009) ассоциацию долговременного воздействия РМ2,5 и РМ10 с частотой случаев СД2 [11,12,16,23,24]. Был сделан вывод, что загрязнение воздуха является новым фактором риска СД2.…”