Common Chemical May Raise Diabetes Risk

Phthalates are found in numerous household products, such as food packaging, furniture, and toys, cosmetics, and medical products including pharmaceutical drugs, medical-grade tubing and intravenous bags.  P. Monica Lind, from Uppsala University (Sweden), and colleagues analyzed data collected on more than 1,000 Swedish men and women, ages 70 years and up, enrolled in the PIVUS study.  In a physical examination participants were examined for fasting blood sugar and various insulin measures. They submitted blood samples for analysis of various environmental toxins, including several substances formed when the body breaks down so-called phthalates. Most people come into daily contact with phthalates as they are used a softening agents in plastics and as carriers of perfumes in cosmetics and self-care products. As expected, diabetes was more common among participants who were overweight and had high blood lipids. But the researchers also found a connection between blood levels of some of the phthalates and increased prevalence of diabetes, even after adjusting for obesity, blood lipids, smoking, and exercise habits. Individuals with elevated phthalate levels had roughly twice the risk of developing diabetes compared with those with lower levels. They also found that certain phthalates were associated with disrupted insulin production in the pancreas. Submitting that: "this cross-sectional study showed that several phthalate metabolites are related to diabetes prevalence, as well as to markers of insulin secretion and resistance,” the study authors conclude that: "These findings support the view that these commonly used chemicals might influence major factors that are regulating glucose metabolism in humans at the level of exposure of phthalate metabolites seen in the general elderly population.”