UMEM Educational Pearls

Category: Toxicology

Title: Arsenic - A New Public Health Threat?

Keywords: arsenic, diabetes (PubMed Search)

Posted: 8/21/2008 by Fermin Barrueto, MD (Updated: 3/28/2024)
Click here to contact Fermin Barrueto, MD

 A recent landmark article has cited a connection between non-insulin dependent diabetes and low-level arsenic in our drinking water.

 

  • Approximately 13 million in the USA are drinking water that contains Arsenic levels higher than EPA allowable standards
  • This study controlled for organic arsenic (found in seafood) and was looking for the effect of inorganic arsenic which is the more toxic compound - don't have to stop eating sushi
  • This study essentially found a dose response curve with people with lower arsenic levels having lower incidence of non-insulin dependent diabetes, those with higher levels, higher risk.

 

References

 Navas-Acien A, Silbergeld EK, Pastor-Barriuso R, Guallar E.

 
Abstract
Arsenic exposure and prevalence of type 2 diabetes in US adults.
JAMA. 2008 Aug 20;300(7):814-22.