Tamara Thomas

Urban Health Today

According to a new study published in the Endocrine Society&rsquo;s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology &amp; Metabolism, endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in plastics could increase the likelihood of women developing diabetes.Phthalates, commonly used in plastic materials like personal care items, kids&rsquo; toys, and food and drink containers, have been linked to decreased fertility, diabetes, and various other hormonal disorders.Sung Kyun Park and colleagues examined whether exposure to phthalates was linked to a higher occurrence of diabetes in a group of women in their middle age who come from various racial and ethnic backgrounds.For this study, the researchers followed one thousand three hundred and eight women from the Study of Women&rsquo;s Health Across the Nation-(SWAN) without diabetes for six years, measuring their exposure to 11 phthalate metabolites. They also estimated how much each phthalate metabolite increased the risk of diabetes while adjusting for other factors like demographics, lifestyle, and health. Finally, they examined whether the effects differed for racial and ethnic groups.During the six-year study, researchers discovered that approximately five percent of women developed diabetes. In addition, these women had phthalate concentrations in their urine comparable to the levels observed in middle-aged women in the U.S. in the early 2000s.&nbsp;The researchers also found that white women exposed to high levels of certain phthalates had a thirty to sixty-three percent greater risk of developing diabetes. However, there was no connection between harmful chemicals and diabetes in Black or Asian women.&ldquo;Our research found phthalates may contribute to a higher incidence of diabetes in women, especially White women, over a six-year period,&rdquo; said Sung Kyun Park, Sc.D., M.P.H., of the University of Michigan School of Public Health in Ann Arbor.&nbsp;&ldquo;People are exposed to phthalates daily, increasing their risk of several metabolic diseases. It&rsquo;s important that we address EDCs now as they are harmful to human health.&rdquo;According to Park, the research is a positive step in the right direction toward a better understanding of how phthalates affect metabolic diseases. However, further investigation is needed to comprehend the relationship entirely.&nbsp;Source: <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/02/230208125107.htm">ScienceDaily</a>

Rebecca Araujo

AI-Driven Insulin Support: Are These Tools Ready for Diabetes Care?

Diabetes

Lou Portero

Heart Rate Complexity May Predict Cognitive Decline in Older Adults

Alzheimer's & Dementia

Female Cancer Survivors Face Higher Rates of Fatigue and Depression, Study Finds

Women's Neurology

Latest News

Plastics May Raise Diabetes Risk in Women

Research has found that phthalates may contribute to a higher incidence of diabetes in women, especially White women, over a 6-year period.

Plastics May Raise Diabetes  Risk in Women

About Us

Editorial Policy

Contributors & Partners

Contact Us

eNewsletters

Work With Us

Advertising

Career Center

GU Oncology Now

Blood Cancers Today

Cancer Nursing Today

DocWire News

MashupMD

Food Allergy Roundtable Discussions

Allergy

Blood Cancers

— Multiple Myeloma

Breast Cancer

Colorectal Cancer

Pancreatic Cancer

Prostate Cancer

Cancer

Gastroenterology

Heart Failure

Heart Disease Prevention

Heart Health

— Alzheimer’s Disease

Neurology

Public Health

Autoimmune Disease

Infectious Diseases

Obesity

Pediatrics

Sickle Cell Disease

Digital Health

Dermatology

Pulmonology

Video Insights

Workforce News

More

Gynecologic Cancer

Heart Disease in Women

Menopause

Reproductive Health

Women’s Neurology

Well Woman Today

Roundtables

Podcasts

Conferences

Viewpoints

Subscribe