Community water fluoridation predicts increase in age-adjusted incidence and prevalence of diabetes in 22 states from 2005 and 2010

Abstract

Community water fluoridation is considered a significant public health achievement of the 20th century. In this paper, the hypothesis that added water fluoridation has contributed to diabetes incidence and prevalence in the United States was investigated. Panel data from publicly available sources were used with population-averaged models to test the associations of added and natural fluoride on the outcomes at the county level in 22 states for the years 2005 and 2010. The findings suggest that a 1 mg increase in the county mean added fluoride significantly positively predicts a 0.23 per 1,000 person increase in age-adjusted diabetes incidence (P < 0.001), and a 0.17% increase in age-adjusted diabetes prevalence percent (P < 0.001), while natural fluoride concentration is significantly protective. For counties using fluorosilicic acid as the chemical additive, both outcomes were lower: by 0.45 per 1,000 persons (P < 0.001) and 0.33% (P < 0.001), respectively. These findings are adjusted for county-level and time-varying changes in per capita tap water consumption, poverty, year, population density, age-adjusted obesity and physical inactivity, and mean number of years since water fluoridation started. Sensitivity analyses revealed robust effects for both types of fluoride. Community water fluoridation is associated with epidemiological outcomes for diabetes.

Fluoride exposure and sleep patterns among older adolescents in the United States: a cross-sectional study of NHANES 2015–2016

“…There are also other mechanisms by which fluoride exposure could potentially contribute to sleep disturbances. For example, higher water fluoride concentrations are associated with an increased likelihood of hypothyroidism among adults [35, 36] and an increased incidence of diabetes among both adults [37] and children [38]. Both conditions are associated with an increased risk of obstructive sleep apnea in adulthood [39–41].…”

Fluoride Exposure Induces Inhibition of Sodium-and Potassium-Activated Adenosine Triphosphatase (Na+, K+-ATPase) Enzyme Activity: Molecular Mechanisms and Implications for Public Health

“…Moreover, it should be noted that an association has been found between drinking water F − levels and incidence of childhood-onset type 1 diabetes has been observed in Canada [537]. Furthermore, a recent ecological study in the USA reported an association between water fluoridation and diabetes [538]. Revealingly, studies have also shown that PERK protects pancreatic β-cells from ER stress [532] and PERK deficiency is associated with hyperglycaemia and increased apoptosis in β-cells [539].…”

“…Increasing evidence also suggests that maternal iodine deficiency and hypothyroidism is associated with increased risk of cognitive impairment, neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders in offspring including ADHD [511,512,513,514,515,516,517,518,519,520,521,522,523,524,525,526,527,528,529,530,531,532,533,534,535,536,537,538,539,540,541,542,543,544,545,546,547,548,549,550,551,552,553,554,555,556,557,558,559,560,561,562,563,564,565], ASD [566,567,568], behavioural seizures [517] and schizophrenia [516]. Moreover, maternal iodine deficiency and hypothyroidism is also associated with increased risk of asthma [518] and hypertension [569] in offspring.…”

Association of type 1 diabetes and concentrations of drinking water components in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

“…Fluegge 44 used mathematical models in 2016 to analyze data on fluoride levels in water and rates of diabetes in 22 US states. The data revealed that a 1 mg increase in added fluoride was associated with a 0.17% increase in age-adjusted diabetes prevalence, even after adjusting for other diabetes risk factors like obesity and physical inactivity.…”

“… Presented at: A report outlining initial findings from ’The association of type 1 diabetes mellitus and drinking water contamination in Newfoundland and Labrador - literature review' project was presented and submitted to the Leslie Harris Centre of regional policy and development in Memorial University of Newfoundland in October 2015 44 . …”