Prospect of 'perpetual pollutants' may heighten likelihood of type 2 diabetes, research reveals
In a groundbreaking study, researchers at Mount Sinai have found evidence that suggests exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often referred to as "forever chemicals," may increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D).
The study, which was conducted using BioMe, a health-record linked biobank that has enrolled over 70,000 people at Mount Sinai Hospital since 2007, analysed the relationship between PFAS exposure and T2D risk. The research leverages an exposomics framework to characterise environmental impacts and associated metabolic alterations contributing to the development of T2D.
The key finding was a 31% higher risk of developing T2D for each step up in PFAS exposure. The study selected 180 individuals recently diagnosed with T2D and matched them with 180 similar participants without diabetes. Blood samples from all participants were tested for PFAS levels.
The findings can help design more effective interventions for the early prevention of T2D. The study's researchers examined how increasing PFAS exposure related to subsequent diabetes risk. Metabolic disruptions in amino-acid and drug-processing pathways may offer clues to how PFAS interfere with blood sugar regulation.
The study found that blood levels of PFAS were linked to about a 31% increased future risk of T2D. Mounting research indicates that PFAS are involved in regulating blood sugar, and this study provides further evidence to support this claim.
PFAS are found in countless everyday consumer products, and they do not break down easily, accumulating in the environment and in human bodies. This long-term exposure could potentially impact diabetes risk long before disease onset.
Importantly, these findings come from analyses of relatively healthy adults, with PFAS levels measured several years before any clinical T2D diagnosis. This research highlights the importance of considering environmental chemical exposures in diabetes risk, especially in diverse populations where exposure and susceptibility can vary.
Vishal Midya, Ph.D., M.Stat., a researcher at Mount Sinai, said in a news release that this study is one of the first to examine how these chemicals may disrupt the body's metabolism in ways that increase diabetes risk, particularly in diverse U.S. populations. The study specifically included a racially and ethnically diverse group: approximately one-third African American, one-third Hispanic, and one-third White participants.
Overall, the data call for broader, longitudinal environmental health research to fully understand how PFAS exposure contributes to diabetes across different life stages and demographic groups, and to guide public health policies aimed at reducing PFAS exposure.
- The research conducted by Mount Sinai researchers suggests that chronic exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) could potentially increase the risk of developing chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes (T2D).
- The study's findings indicate that PFAS may interfere with blood sugar regulation, and this could be due to metabolic disruptions in amino-acid and drug-processing pathways.
- Nutrition and health-and-wellness strategies, including CBD, might play a role in managing the risk of T2D in individuals with high PFAS levels, considering the connection between PFAS exposure and T2D risk.
- It is crucial to conduct further medical-condition and chronic-disease research, focusing on understanding PFAS exposure's long-term impact on diabetes risk across different demographic groups and life stages, particularly in diverse U.S. populations.
