A new study has shown that long-term exposure to air pollution is associated with insulin resistance in the general population. Analysis of almost 3,000 individuals showed that each 7.9 μg/m3 increase in particulate matter was associated with an increased HOMA index (15.6%) and levels of insulin (14.5%). Effects were greater in individuals with prediabetes than in nondiabetics. The findings indicate that air pollution is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus, particularly in prediabetic individuals.
References
Wolf, K et al. Association between long-term exposure to air pollution and biomarkers related to insulin resistance, subclinical inflammation and adipokines. Diabetes http://dx.doi.org/10.2337/db15-1567 (2016)
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Holmes, D. Air pollution linked to insulin resistance. Nat Rev Endocrinol 12, 688 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2016.168
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2016.168