Exposure to 'forever chemicals' may increase diabetes risk

A new study led by Mount Sinai Hospital in the United States found that exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS, commonly known as "forever chemicals") may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. The relevant results were published in the journal eBioMedicine under The Lancet on July 21.

The research team conducted a nested case-control study using BioMe, a large electronic health record database that contains the health records of more than 70,000 patients who have been treated at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York since 2007. The study screened 180 people who were recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and compared them with 180 individuals with no history of diabetes who were matched in age, gender and ancestry.

By analyzing the concentration of PFAS in blood samples, it was found that the higher the PFAS exposure level, the higher the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the future. The data showed that the risk of disease increased by 31% for each increase in PFAS exposure range. This association may be due to PFAS interfering with key metabolic pathways such as amino acid synthesis and drug metabolism in the body, thereby affecting blood sugar regulation.

PFAS is a class of synthetic chemicals that are heat-resistant, oil-resistant, waterproof and stain-resistant. They are widely used in daily consumer products such as non-stick pans, stain-resistant furniture and waterproof clothing. Because PFAS are difficult to degrade, they will accumulate in the environment and the human body. More and more studies have shown that PFAS may also be an important environmental risk factor for chronic diseases such as obesity and liver disease.

The team called for attention to be paid to preventing the potential threat of PFAS exposure to public health and further exploring the specific mechanisms by which PFAS interfere with human metabolism.

(Original title: "Exposure to "permanent chemicals" may increase the risk of diabetes")