Association Between Type 2 Diabetes and Exposure to Persistent Organic Pollutants

Abstract

OBJECTIVEThe prevalence of type 2 diabetes is increasing alarmingly in both developed and developing countries. Recently, exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) has been associated with the prevalence of type 2 diabetes. The purpose of this cross-sectional study is to examine the association between type 2 diabetes and POP exposure in the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSThe cohort consists of 8,760 people born in Helsinki during 1934–1944, before the global POP emission peak. In 2003, a clinical examination was performed, including blood sampling for laboratory analyses of serum lipids and POPs. Complete data from the examination were available for 1,988 participants. The concentrations of each POP were categorized into four groups on the basis of percentile intervals, and logistic regression was performed to examine diabetes prevalence across the POP categories, adjusting for sex, age, waist circumference, and mean arterial pressure and using the lowest category as the reference group.RESULTSAmong the participants with the highest exposure to oxychlordane, trans-nonachlor, 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis-(p-chlorophenyl)-ethylene (p,p’-DDE, and polychlorinated biphenyl 153, the risk of type 2 diabetes was 1.64–2.24 times higher than that among individuals with the lowest exposure (Plin = 0.003–0.050, where Plin is the P value for linear trend across POP categories). In the stratified analysis, the associations between type 2 diabetes and oxychlordane and trans-nonachlor remained significant and were strongest among the overweight participants. Exposure to 2,2′,4,4′-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE 47) and 2,2′,4,4′,5,5′-hexabromodiphenyl ether (BDE 153) was not associated with type 2 diabetes.CONCLUSIONSThis study confirms the association between type 2 diabetes and adult-only exposure to organochlorine pesticides in a general urban population.

Serum Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Risk of Incident Type 2 Diabetes in Men: The Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study

“…Our study population included only middle-aged and older men, so the findings may not be generalizable to other age groups or to women. Besides mercury, we did not have information on other environmental contaminants in fish, such as persistent organic pollutants, which have been associated with insulin resistance and higher risk of type 2 diabetes (39,40). Of special interest would be to investigate the potential joint effects of simultaneous mercury and persistent organic pollutant exposures, of which very little is currently known (16).…”

Fish consumption, omega-3 fatty acids, and environmental contaminants in relation to low-grade inflammation and early atherosclerosis

“…In addition, PCDD/Fs, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and methyl mercury (MeHg) are suspected to have a capacity to increase both blood pressure and oxidative stress, alter lipid, glucose and insulin metabolism, and promote inflammatory processes (Everett et al, 2011;Hennig et al, 2007;Mozaffarian, 2009). Especially exposure to PCBs has lately been linked with obesity, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance (Lee et al, 2011) and the risk of diabetes (Airaksinen et al, 2011).…”

Association between Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene in the Serum and Adipose Tissue with Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…The main source of human exposure to p,p'-DDE is through eating food, particularly fish. Several cross-sectional studies have disclosed the association of POPs with T2D (Lee et al, 2006 ;Taylor et al, 2013 ;Airaksinen, Rantakokko, Eriksson, Blomstedt, & Kajantie, 2011;Mostafalou, 2016). Some limited prospective studies have also shown that POPs increased the risk of T2D (Arrebola, Pumarega, Gasull, Fernandez, & Martin-Olmedo, 2013;Rignell-Hydbom, Lidfeldt, Kiviranta, Rantakokko, & Samsioe, 2009;Turyk, Anderson, Knobeloch, Imm, & Persky, 2009), but the association between p,p'-DDE and T2D has not been specifically studied.…”