MONDAY JUNE 9, 2008 (foodconsumer.org) -- A new US government study shows that licensed pesticide applicators that used chlorinated pesticides for more than 100 days in their lifetime were at greater risk of diabetes.
The increase in the risk could range from 20 to 200 percent, said the researchers with the NIH's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Cancer Institute.
Known risk factors for diabetes include obesity, lack of physical exercise and having a family history of diabetes. The current study points to another potential risk: exposure to pesticide.
The finding may apply beyond the licensed pesticide applicators because the general population is also exposed to some pesticides in the study although others are no long available from the market.
In addition, chlorinated pesticides persist and a risk to human health could last for a long time.
The study found the pesticide applicators whose exposure was in the highest category had a 17 percent increased risk of diabetes compared to those in the lowest exposure category.
New cases of diabetes were found in 3.4 percent of those in the lowest exposure group and in 4.6 percent of those in the highest exposure group.
Reference: Montgomery MP, Kamel F, Saldana TM, Alavanja MCR, Sandler DP. Incident diabetes and pesticide exposure among licensed pesticide applicators: Agricultural Health Study 1993 – 2003, Amer J Epidemiol, 2008;167:1235-46.
Known risk factors for diabetes include obesity, lack of physical exercise and having a family history of diabetes. The current study points to another potential risk: exposure to pesticide.
The finding may apply beyond the licensed pesticide applicators because the general population is also exposed to some pesticides in the study although others are no long available from the market.
In addition, chlorinated pesticides persist and a risk to human health could last for a long time.
The study found the pesticide applicators whose exposure was in the highest category had a 17 percent increased risk of diabetes compared to those in the lowest exposure category.
New cases of diabetes were found in 3.4 percent of those in the lowest exposure group and in 4.6 percent of those in the highest exposure group.
Reference: Montgomery MP, Kamel F, Saldana TM, Alavanja MCR, Sandler DP. Incident diabetes and pesticide exposure among licensed pesticide applicators: Agricultural Health Study 1993 – 2003, Amer J Epidemiol, 2008;167:1235-46.
Known risk factors for diabetes include obesity, lack of physical exercise and having a family history of diabetes. The current study points to another potential risk: exposure to pesticide.
The finding may apply beyond the licensed pesticide applicators because the general population is also exposed to some pesticides in the study although others are no long available from the market.
In addition, chlorinated pesticides persist and a risk to human health could last for a long time.
The study found the pesticide applicators whose exposure was in the highest category had a 17 percent increased risk of diabetes compared to those in the lowest exposure category.
New cases of diabetes were found in 3.4 percent of those in the lowest exposure group and in 4.6 percent of those in the highest exposure group.
Reference: Montgomery MP, Kamel F, Saldana TM, Alavanja MCR, Sandler DP. Incident diabetes and pesticide exposure among licensed pesticide applicators: Agricultural Health Study 1993 – 2003, Amer J Epidemiol, 2008;167:1235-46.
Known risk factors for diabetes include obesity, lack of physical exercise and having a family history of diabetes. The current study points to another potential risk: exposure to pesticide.
The finding may apply beyond the licensed pesticide applicators because the general population is also exposed to some pesticides in the study although others are no long available from the market.
In addition, chlorinated pesticides persist and a risk to human health could last for a long time.
The study found the pesticide applicators whose exposure was in the highest category had a 17 percent increased risk of diabetes compared to those in the lowest exposure category.
New cases of diabetes were found in 3.4 percent of those in the lowest exposure group and in 4.6 percent of those in the highest exposure group.
Reference: Montgomery MP, Kamel F, Saldana TM, Alavanja MCR, Sandler DP. Incident diabetes and pesticide exposure among licensed pesticide applicators: Agricultural Health Study 1993 – 2003, Amer J Epidemiol, 2008;167:1235-46.
