Have you ever heard about forever chemicals?
Truth is that forever chemicals are present from the water we drink to the food we eat and even in our cells etc.
The important question now is can these forever chemicals trigger any health issue in us?
In a recent study, it was found that these forever chemicals are linked to type 2 diabetes. Shocking isn`t it??
USA based Mount Sinai researchers have identified a close association between forever chemicals and type-2 diabetes and their findings have been published in eBioMedicine journal.
In the 1940s, forever chemicals were developed and they have become part of our lives. It must be noted that forever chemicals or PFA or per and poly fluoro alkyl substances belong to the class of synthetic chemicals. They are said to be resistant to heat, oil and water. Point to be noted is that these PFAs are used in products ranging from Teflon pans, cosmetics, dental floss etc. In other words, PFAs are present in non-stick cookware to stain resistant furniture etc.
A link between PFAs and type- 2 diabetes has been identified by the researchers now. According to the researchers, exposure to PFAs could lead to type-2 diabetes in humans. Metabolic irregularities in amino acid biosynthesis and drug metabolism and might explain how PFAs could affect our body`s ability to regulate blood sugar.
What work do the researchers do?
It is learnt that the researchers looked at the data of more than 70000 study participants who have sought care at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City from 2007 onwards. It is noteworthy that the researchers analysed as many as180 people who were diagnosed with type-2 diabetes or T2D and compared them with those who did not have T2D.
For analysing PFAs, the researchers took blood samples from these persons.
Inference from the study:
It has been brought to light by the researchers that the high levels of PFAs have been associated with greater risk of developing type-2 diabetes. They have found out that increased exposure to PFAs would lead to 31% increased risk of getting type-2 diabetes.
It was later explained by Vishal Midya, PhD, MStat, who is the corresponding author and assistant professor of environmental medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital that PFAs were synthetic chemicals resistant to heat, water and oil etc. He added that these chemicals are present in everyday products of the consumer. HeHe concluded that since these chemicals do not break up easily they accumulate in the environment/ human bodies etc.
Importance of the research study:
Point is that this study emphasizes the importance of preventing exposure to PFAs to promote public health. With the help of the findings, it would be possible to design more effective interventions for early prevention of type-2 diabetes.
