Incident Diabetes and Pesticide Exposure among Licensed Pesticide Applicators: Agricultural Health Study, 1993-2003

Abstract

Exposure to certain environmental toxicants may be associated with increased risk of developing diabetes. The authors' aim was to investigate the relation between lifetime exposure to specific agricultural pesticides and diabetes incidence among pesticide applicators. The study included 33,457 licensed applicators, predominantly non-Hispanic White males, enrolled in the Agricultural Health Study. Incident diabetes was self-reported in a 5-year follow-up interview (1999-2003), giving 1,176 diabetics and 30,611 nondiabetics for analysis. Lifetime exposure to pesticides and covariate information were reported by participants at enrollment (1993-1997). Using logistic regression, the authors considered two primary measures of pesticide exposure: ever use and cumulative lifetime days of use. They found seven specific pesticides (aldrin, chlordane, heptachlor, dichlorvos, trichlorfon, alachlor, and cyanazine) for which the odds of diabetes incidence increased with both ever use and cumulative days of use. Applicators who had used the organochlorine insecticides aldrin, chlordane, and heptachlor more than 100 lifetime days had 51%, 63%, and 94% increased odds of diabetes, respectively. The observed association of organochlorine and organophosphate insecticides with diabetes is consistent with results from previous human and animal studies. Long-term exposure from handling certain pesticides, in particular, organochlorine and organophosphate insecticides, may be associated with increased risk of diabetes.

Potential role for organochlorine pesticides in the prevalence of peripheral arterial diseases in obese persons: Results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2004

“…Furthermore, the diabetogenic effects of POPs have been shown to be much stronger in persons with higher BMIs than those with lower BMIs [29][30][31]. As such, obesity is regarded as a significant modifying factor for the association between OC pesticides and type 2 diabetes [31,32]. The results of this study indicate that obesity contributes to an increased body burden of OC compounds and thereby contributes, at least in part, to pathogenesis of PAD.…”

“…Pelletier et al found that obese individuals were associated with higher levels of circulating OCs, whereas both leaner sedentary individuals and athletes had lower levels of these compounds [28]. Furthermore, the diabetogenic effects of POPs have been shown to be much stronger in persons with higher BMIs than those with lower BMIs [29][30][31]. As such, obesity is regarded as a significant modifying factor for the association between OC pesticides and type 2 diabetes [31,32].…”

Imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid insecticide, induces insulin resistance

“…This trend cannot be explained completely by dietary, social and behavioral changes that have occurred during the same time (Biro and Wien, 2010). Simultaneously, emerging evidence suggests that persistent organic pollutants, including insecticides, are positively linked to altered glucose homeostasis (Boada et al, 2007;Montgomery et al, 2008;Son et al, 2010;Rezg et al, 2010;Lee et al, 2011). There is currently limited knowledge on the underlying biochemical mechanisms by which insecticides alter glucose homeostasis.…”

Research and outreach can lessen the overall burden of diabetes in farmworkers

“…The most recent findings from this prospective study of nearly 32,000 individuals showed that lifetime cumulative exposure to seven specific chlorinated pesticides increased the likelihood of diabetes (Montgomery et al 2008). It is recognized that the disease is multifactorial with a complex interplay between biology, the environment, lifestyles and health while limited research has examined occupational factors that contribute to the risk of diabetes, there is evidence of an association with environmental exposure to pesticides.…”