Cosmetics and plastics, double risk of type-2 diabetes

Now developing diabetes can be increased by the cosmetic and plastics. Phthalates found in cosmetics and plastics can increase the risk of developing diabetes among the old age persons, researchers have revealed the facts in the latest report. Findings tell that even at a modest increase in circulating phthalate levels, the risk of diabetes is doubled.

Section for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Uppsala University has released the study, which has highlighted many surprising facts.

"Although our results need to be confirmed in more studies, they do support the hypothesis that certain environmental chemicals can contribute to the development of diabetes," said Monica Lind, associate professor of environmental medicine at the Section for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Uppsala University.

She has worked with Lars Lind, professor of medicine at Uppsala University, and analysed new information from the so-called PIVUS study, which covers more than 1 000 70-year-old women and men in Uppsala.

Researchers examined the physical examination participants in whom they 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.

It was noticed that as per expectation 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.

"However, to find out whether phthalates truly are risk factors for diabetes, further studies are needed that show similar associations. Today, besides the present study, there is only one small study of Mexican women. But experimental studies on animals and cells are also needed regarding what biological mechanisms might underlie these connections," said Lind.

(With inputs from ANI)