By Peter Laird, MD
BIsphenol A (BPA), a byproduct of plastics manufacturing is significantly elevated in dialysis patients who are constantly exposed to plastic products during dialysis. New research shows an association between elevated levels of BPA and the onset of Type II diabetes:
Relationship between Urinary Bisphenol A Levels and Diabetes Mellitus
Results: Overall, we observed a positive association between increasing levels of urinary BPA and diabetes mellitus, independent of confounding factors such as age, gender, race/ethnicity, body mass index, and serum cholesterol levels. Compared to quartile 1 (referent), the multivariate-adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of diabetes associated with quartile 4 was 1.50 (1.05–2.14) (p-trend = 0.03). The association was present among normal-weight as well as overweight and obese subjects.
Conclusions: Urinary BPA levels are found to be associated with diabetes mellitus independent of traditional diabetes risk factors. Future prospective studies are needed to confirm or disprove this finding.
Further research is needed to define not only any possible link with diabetes, but also the health related effects BPA might play in the dialysis population which has one of the highest exposures to these chemicals.
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