Type 2 Diabetes and Pollution
Reported December 1, 2005

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- People exposed to high levels of certain pollutants may be at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, suggests a small study out of Lund, Sweden.

Researchers studied a group of fishermen and their wives. Because the nature of their work, these people were exposed to higher than typical levels of a family of chemicals known as persistent organochlorine pollutants, or POPs. The study revealed those with type 2 diabetes also had the highest levels of POP byproducts in their blood.

Scientists note the finding is preliminary.

"This cross-sectional study provides support for the hypothesis that POP exposure might contribute to type 2 diabetes mellitus," says lead author, Lars Rylander, BSc. "Even if we cannot exclude the possibility of a reversed causality, the presently observed negative correlation between time period elapsed since diabetes diagnosis and CB-153 level in serum, speaks for the hypothesis of POP as a risk factor."

Persistent organochlorine pollutants include the insecticide DDT and can come from eating fatty fish like salmon.

SOURCE: Environmental Health, published online Nov. 28, 2005