So-called “forever chemicals” could be increasing Americans’ risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, a new study says.
Higher blood levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are associated with a significantly greater risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, the form of the disease most closely tied to obesity, researchers reported Monday in the journal eBioMedicine.
Risk for Type 2 diabetes increased by 31% as PFAS blood levels rose from low to moderate and from moderate to high, researchers found.
It appears that the forever chemicals could be affecting the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar levels, researchers wrote.
“Our study is one of the first to examine how these chemicals may disrupt the body’s metabolism in ways that increase diabetes risk, particularly in diverse U.S. populations,” lead researcher Vishal Midya, an assistant professor of environmental medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, said in a news release.
PFAS are called “forever chemicals” because they combine carbon and fluorine molecules, one of the strongest chemical bonds possible. This makes PFAS removal and breakdown very difficult, researchers explained in background notes.
PFAS compounds have been used in consumer products since the 1940s, including fire extinguishing foam, nonstick cookware, food wrappers, stain-resistant furniture and waterproof clothing.
“PFAS are synthetic chemicals that resist heat, oil, water and stains, and are found in countless everyday consumer products,” Midya said. “Because they don’t break down easily, PFAS accumulate in the environment — and in human bodies.”
For the study, researchers analyzed blood samples from 180 people recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and compared them to 180 similar individuals without diabetes.
They found people’s PFAS levels were indeed associated with their risk for type 2 diabetes. PFAS also seemed to alter people’s metabolism of amino acids, carbohydrates and some drugs, researchers said.
For example, PFAS altered people’s levels of sulfolithocholyglycine, a key signaling molecule for coordinating and regulating metabolism of fats, blood sugar, drugs and energy, researchers wrote.
However, the nature of the study means a direct cause-and-effect link between PFAS and Type 2 diabetes can’t be drawn, researchers noted.
Future research is needed to verify this link, and to figure out exactly why PFAS might alter metabolism in a way that would impact diabetes risk, researchers said.