Multiyear study reveals toxic metals in urine are connected to elevated blood sugar levels.
Research from the University of Illinois Chicago suggests that exposure to arsenic and other harmful metals could speed up the development of diabetes.
In a long-term study involving over 500 Mexican Americans residing in southern Texas, researchers discovered that high concentrations of toxic metals in urine were linked to quicker increases in blood sugar in the following years.
Those with the highest arsenic levels in their urine were found to potentially develop prediabetes 23 months sooner, and diabetes 65 months sooner than individuals with the lowest amounts of arsenic exposure.
The findings, published in Diabetes Care, underline a less recognized risk factor for diabetes—a condition of significant concern for public health, associated with severe disparities in related health issues such as heart disease, kidney failure, and blindness. The research also highlights that this risk can be mitigated by reducing exposure to contaminated food, water, and other products.
“Environmental influences have largely been overlooked as contributors to the diabetes crisis,” stated Margaret Weiss, an MD/PhD candidate at UIC and the primary author of the study. “The data supports using environmental policy as a fresh approach to alleviate the serious burden of diabetes on individuals and society as a whole.”
The study focused on residents of Starr County, Texas, an area near the U.S.-Mexico border with one of the highest rates of diabetes and diabetes-related deaths in the nation. High levels of arsenic and other toxic metals have been found in the local groundwater, and these substances may also enter the body through food and medicine.
As part of a larger initiative led by the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 510 participants submitted urine and blood samples. Researchers assessed the levels of various metals in the urine at the beginning of the study, and then measured blood sugar levels at intervals of three, six, 12, 24, and 36 months later.
Overall, blood sugar levels rose among all participants. However, those who initially had higher urinary levels of arsenic, selenium, copper, molybdenum, nickel, or tin showed a more rapid increase in blood sugar over the three-year period.
This quicker rise places individuals who initially had normal blood sugar at a greater risk of developing prediabetes and diabetes sooner than their peers—an alarming trend, according to Dr. Robert Sargis, an associate professor in the College of Medicine.
“In clinical practice, timing is crucial,” said Sargis, the study’s senior author. “The earlier diabetes manifests, the more severe the complications are. Prolonged diabetes leads to worse consequences. It emphasizes the importance of engaging patients earlier in medical settings.”
The precise mechanism by which arsenic and other toxic metals heighten the risk of diabetes remains unclear. Additionally, other metals such as cobalt and zinc were linked to lower blood sugar in later years, suggesting that some elements might have a protective effect. However, the concerning data regarding arsenic and other harmful metals suggests they are environmental risk factors that could become new focal points for preventing diabetes.
“Unlike genetic factors, environmental conditions can be changed. We can take steps to lower these exposures,” Sargis remarked. “We need to start considering tools we haven’t yet employed to tackle diabetes risk, and environmental policy could be a vital method to help improve people’s lives.”
