Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2012 Nov 15;176(10):865-74.
doi: 10.1093/aje/kws153. Epub 2012 Oct 24.

Arsenic exposure, diabetes prevalence, and diabetes control in the Strong Heart Study

Matthew O Gribble  1 , Barbara V Howard, Jason G Umans, Nawar M Shara, Kevin A Francesconi, Walter Goessler, Ciprian M Crainiceanu, Ellen K Silbergeld, Eliseo Guallar, Ana Navas-Acien
Affiliations

Arsenic exposure, diabetes prevalence, and diabetes control in the Strong Heart Study

Matthew O Gribble et al. Am J Epidemiol. .

Abstract

This study evaluated the association of arsenic exposure, as measured in urine, with diabetes prevalence, glycated hemoglobin, and insulin resistance in American Indian adults from Arizona, Oklahoma, and North and South Dakota (1989-1991). We studied 3,925 men and women 45-74 years of age with available urine arsenic measures. Diabetes was defined as a fasting glucose level of 126 mg/dL or higher, a 2-hour glucose level of 200 mg/dL or higher, a hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) of 6.5% or higher, or diabetes treatment. Median urine arsenic concentration was 14.1 µg/L (interquartile range, 7.9-24.2). Diabetes prevalence was 49.4%. After adjustment for sociodemographic factors, diabetes risk factors, and urine creatinine, the prevalence ratio of diabetes comparing the 75th versus 25th percentiles of total arsenic concentrations was 1.14 (95% confidence interval: 1.08, 1.21). The association between arsenic and diabetes was restricted to participants with poor diabetes control (HbA1c ≥8%). Arsenic was positively associated with HbA1c levels in participants with diabetes. Arsenic was not associated with HbA1c or with insulin resistance (assessed by homeostatic model assessment to quantify insulin resistance) in participants without diabetes. Urine arsenic was associated with diabetes control in a population from rural communities in the United States with a high burden of diabetes. Prospective studies that evaluate the direction of the relation between poor diabetes control and arsenic exposure are needed.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Agency for Toxic Substances Control and Disease Registry, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service. Toxicological Profile for Arsenic. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service; 2007. (http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp.asp?id=22&tid=3. ). (Accessed September 19, 2012)
    1. Wang SL, Chiou JM, Chen CJ, et al. Prevalence of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and related vascular diseases in southwestern arseniasis-endemic and nonendemic areas in Taiwan. Environ Health Perspect. 2003;111(2):155–159. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Lai MS, Hsueh YM, Chen CJ, et al. Ingested inorganic arsenic and prevalence of diabetes mellitus. Am J Epidemiol. 1994;139(5):484–492. - PubMed
    1. Tseng CH, Tai TY, Chong CK, et al. Long-term arsenic exposure and incidence of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus: a cohort study in arseniasis-hyperendemic villages in Taiwan. Environ Health Perspect. 2000;108(9):847–851. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Chen Y, Ahsan H, Slavkovich V, et al. No association between arsenic exposure from drinking water and diabetes mellitus: a cross-sectional study in Bangladesh. Environ Health Perspect. 2010;118(9):1299–1305. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms

-