Long-term Pesticide Exposure may Increase Risk of Diabetes
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Brief Description:
Long-term exposure to pesticides may increase the risk of diabetes
according to a study conducted by researchers at the National
Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Cancer
Institute.
Transcript:
Akinso: Long-term exposure to pesticides may
increase the risk of diabetes according to a study conducted
by researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health
Sciences and the National Cancer Institute. SANDLER: We found
that there were 7 pesticides that appeared to be associated with
an increase in the chances of getting diabetes.
Akinso: Dr. Dale Sandler is the chief of the
Epidemiology Branch at the NIEHS and the co-author of the study.
Sandler: The seven were organochlorine insecticides,
called Aldrin, chlordane and heptachlor and they were also some
other chlorinated pesticides as well.
Akinso: The licensed pesticide applicators
that used chlorinated pesticides on more than 100 days in their
lifetime were at greater risk of diabetes. The association between
specific pesticides and incident diabetes ranged from a 20 percent
to a 200 percent increase risk according to Dr. Sandler.
Sandler: The results suggest that pesticides
play a small role in increasing the chances of developing diabetes
along with the more well known risk factors which are being overweight,
not getting enough exercise, or even getting older and having
a family history of diabetes. They also suggested that people
who are overweight and also use these specific types of pesticides
have the greatest chance of developing diabetes.
Akinso: Dr. Sandler said the findings provide
scientists with an important clue for further research. This
is Wally Akinso at the National Institutes of Health Bethesda,
Maryland.
This page was last reviewed on
July 28, 2008
.