Though an initial report made a vague reference about the link between chemicals found in deodorants and breast cancer, most of us didn’t really give it a thought. In another study by scientists from the Uppsala University, it was found that phthalates found commonly in plastics and cosmetics seemed to increase risk of type 2 diabetes among older individuals.
For the study, nearly 1,000 men and women aged 70 were examined for blood sugar levels and environmental impurities. Even after controlling for variables like hypertension, drinking, smoking and others, the results showed that persons with high blood levels of phthalates were apparently likelier to suffer from type 2 diabetes.
“Although our results need to be confirmed in more studies, they do support the hypothesis that certain environmental chemicals can contribute to the development of diabetes,†cited Monica Lind, associate professor of environmental medicine at the Section for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Uppsala University.
Those with high levels of this chemical in their bloodstreams seemed to be at two folds higher risk than their control counterparts. In some cases, phthalates appeared to disrupt the pancreas’ ability to produce insulin.
However, the outcomes of the trial are in the preliminary stage and need to be affirmed by further studies. The data used in this analysis is part of the PIVUS study. While there are already many risk factors for diabetes like obesity and blood pressure, this chemical seemingly showed its potential of being one.
The report is published in the journal, Diabetes care.