Pollution --> Diabetes?

diabetes
pollution
(Gabriel G.) #1

Summary…

It’s fairly well known that a bad diet, a lack of exercise, and genetics can all contribute to type 2 diabetes. But a new global study points to an additional, surprising culprit: the air pollution emitted by cars and trucks.

…

Scientists are just beginning to understand what exactly makes PM2.5 so harmful, but a major reason is that it’s so small and contains toxic metals. Its size allows it to penetrate the lungs and enter the bloodstream. There, it can circulate to different organs and cause inflammation. The inflammation increases insulin resistance. Eventually, this insulin resistance can become so severe the pancreas becomes unable to pump out enough insulin to compensate, and diabetes can set in.

Interesting anyway.

(Karen) #2

Thank goodness, I thought it was the doughnuts!

K

#3

This is why I always drive with the windows down!

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #4

Nice study size, so it’s a powerful study, but as David Colquhoun and others repeatedly point out, a p value less than 0.05 does not mean an error rate of only 5%, but rather an error rate around 30%. I read the Lancet article, and I saw nothing about controlling for diet (unless I missed it, which is possible), which I find interesting, given that the link between carbohydrate consumption and insulin level is so strong.