Arsenic in urine and Type 2 Diabetes

High levels of arsenic in the urine appear to be associated with the prevalence of type 2 diabetes, according to a study published today in the journal 'JAMA'.

The report recalls that inorganic arsenic compounds are highly toxic and cause cancer in the population, but it is also observed that exposure to high concentrations of the element in drinking water and in the workplace is associated with diabetes.

Millions of individuals around the world are exposed to drinking water contaminated with inorganic arsenic, including 13 million Americans whose public water supply contains more than the standard recommended by the US Environmental Protection Agency, which rates the maximum allowed in 10 micrograms per liter.

However, the study, carried out by the team of Ana Navas-Acien, Doctor of Philosophy at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore (USA), analyzes the effect of lower levels on the risk of diabetes, is the case of organic arsenic ingested through shellfish, which is usually considered non-toxic.

The research analyzed the levels of arsenic in the urine of 788 adults older than 20 years, which had been carried out within the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2003-2004.

7.7 percent of the participants had type 2 diabetes, although after adjusting for risk factors and biomarkers of shellfish consumption, these participants had a 26 percent higher level of total arsenic in their urine than those without the illness. However, the levels of organic arsenic were similar between the two groups.

"The potential role of arsenic in the development of diabetes is supported by experimental and mechanical evidence," the study authors note. In addition, arsenic could also influence genetic factors that interfere with insulin sensitivity and other processes, or it could contribute to worsening disease-related factors.

"From a public health perspective, the confirmation of arsenic in the development of diabetes would add to the already existing concern about its relationship with cancer," he warns. Likewise, they recall that taking into account that inorganic arsenic can be found in drinking water throughout the world, its contribution to the diabetes epidemic should be clarified and therefore be a priority in medical research to achieve control of the disease.

SOURCE: Europa Press