| A study has found that phthalates, a plastic additive, increase the risk of diabetes in white women. (Photo = DB) |
[메디컬투데이=이승재 기자] Phthalates, a plastic additive, increase the risk of diabetes in white women, a new study has found.
A study on the effects of phthalates on diabetes was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Plastic is pervasive throughout our lives. Microplastics are found in food packaging, cosmetics, clothes, and even the water we drink.
However, several studies have shown that plastic is harmful to health. One of the reasons is that phthalates, which are chemicals added to make plastics flexible, cause problems such as endocrine disruption, obesity, and allergies.
Phthalates in particular affect insulin among the hormones in our body. Insulin plays a key role in metabolic processes, including regulating blood sugar and making glucose available to cells. Previous studies have shown that elevated levels of phthalates in the body increase insulin resistance and increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Researchers at the University of Michigan studied the effects of phthalates on diabetes in 1,308 women over six years.
They first measured the concentrations of 12 phthalates in participants’ urine samples at the start of the study. Participants were followed and observed for 6 years.
At 6 years at the end of the study, 61 women (4.7%) developed diabetes. When their urine samples were compared with those of women without diabetes, women with diabetes had higher concentrations of 10 phthalates. In particular, there was a significant correlation between phthalate concentration and diabetes risk in Caucasians.
The researchers concluded that phthalates increased the risk of diabetes in white women.
Reporter Lee Seung-jae of Medical Today (ecctomas@mdtoday.co.kr)
[저작권자ⓒ 메디컬투데이. 무단전재-재배포 금지]
