Poor Air Quality Raises Diabetes Risk In Children

Bad news for those who live in areas with air pollution: exposure to air pollution raises the risk of resistance to insulin in children, according to a new study in Diabetolgia, the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes.
A study of about 400 10 year old German children found that insulin resistance increased 17 percent for every 10.6 micrograms per cubic meter increase in ambient nitrogen dioxide and by 19 percent for every 6 micrograms per cubic meter increase in particular matter.
Previous research indicated a link between traffic-related air pollution and the development of diabetes in adults. These studies show that exposure to fine pollution particles that get into the respiratory system, heart, and vessels increases inflammation, which can be linked to insulin resistance, says study author Joachim Heinrich, of the German Research Center for Environmental Health.
"Given the ubiquitous nature of air pollution and the high incidence of insulin resistance in the general population, the associations examined here may have potentially important public health effects," said Heinrich in the paper.
Blood samples were collected from 397 children who were included in two German birth cohort studies. Exposure to air pollutants at their addresses was estimated by analyzing emissions from road traffic, population density, and land use. Measurements of blood insulin levels and air pollutants were taken at various times so the findings "should be regarded with caution," says Jon Ayres, a professor of environmental and respiratory medicine at the University of Birmingham in England. Ayres said in the statement that a larger study should be done to confirm the link.
Study participants will be tested again at age 15 to see how the findings evolve during and after puberty and the effect of moving to a different location.
Reference: Business Week.
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