Exposure to Toxic Metals Linked to Faster Increases in Glycemia
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Sept. 23, 2024 -- Exposure to toxic metals and alterations in essential metal homeostasis are associated with faster increases in glycemia over time in a high-risk Mexican American population, according to a study published online Sept. 15 in Diabetes Care.
Margaret C. Weiss, from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and colleagues examined continuous glycemic traits in relation to baseline urinary toxic metal, essential metal, and metal mixtures in a cohort of Mexican American adults. Five hundred ten participants were selected and followed over three years.
The researchers found that faster increases in measures of glycemia were seen in association with higher urinary levels of arsenic, selenium, copper, molybdenum, nickel, and tin after adjustment. Faster increases in postload glucose were seen in association with the toxic metal mixture composed of arsenic, lead, cadmium, nickel, and tin. Highest versus lowest arsenic was predicted to accelerate conversion of normoglycemia to prediabetes by 23 months and to diabetes by 65 months using postload glucose criteria.
"This study further illuminates the deleterious impact of metals on metabolic health and reinforces the need to prioritize the environmental drivers of diabetes that have long been neglected by individual- and policy-level interventions," the authors write.
One author disclosed ties to CVS/Health.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted September 2024
Read this next
High Metabolic Syndrome Severity Linked to Development of CKD
FRIDAY, Aug. 15, 2025 -- High metabolic syndrome (MetS) severity, expressed by the continuous metabolic syndrome severity score (cMetS-S), is associated with development of...
26.5 Percent of Adults With Diabetes Used GLP-1 RA Injectables in 2024
THURSDAY, Aug. 14, 2025 -- In 2024, 26.5 percent of adults with diagnosed diabetes used glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) injectables, according to an August...
2009 to 2023 Saw Increase in Use of Technology, Glycemic Control in Type 1 Diabetes
THURSDAY, Aug. 14, 2025 -- From 2009 to 2023, there was an increase in use of diabetes technology and in glycemic control among youths and adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D)...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.