The link between nickel exposure and diabetes
Research published in the International Journal of Epidemiology suggests that elevated levels of nickel are linked to a higher incidence of Type 2 diabetes.
Nickel and its compounds are commonly used in industries such as electroplating and production of alloy and nickel-cadmium batteries. Other sources of nickel exposure may come from use of tobacco, dental or orthopedic implants, stainless steel kitchen utensils, inexpensive jewelry and nickel-releasing coins.
Most absorbed nickel is excreted in urine regardless of its exposure route, which is why urinary nickel concentration is commonly used to assess nickel exposure levels. Several animal studies indicate that nickel exposure could induce hyperglycemia through promoting hepatic glycolysis, pancreatic glucagon release and decreasing peripheral utilization of glucose. However, little is known about whether nickel exposure is associated with abnormal glucose metabolism in humans.
Liu Gang, a PhD student from Professor Lin Xu’s group, in collaboration with Professor Chen Yan’s and Professor Yin Huiyong’s groups at the Institute for Nutritional Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, CAS studied the association of nickel exposure with Type 2 diabetes by measuring urine nickel along with other 28 irons with a technique known as inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).
The urine samples were from 2,115 Beijing and Shanghai residents who participated in the Nutrition and Health of Aging Population in China Follow-up Study. They found that elevated levels of urinary nickel were associated with higher fasting glucose, glycated haemoglobin A1c, insulin, and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance.
The odds ratios (95 percent confidence interval) for diabetes from the lowest to the highest quartile of urinary nickel were 1.00 (reference), 1.27 (0.97-1.67), 1.78 (1.36-2.32), and 1.68 (1.29-2.20), respectively, after multivariate adjustment including body mass index and C-reaction protein.
These results suggest that increased urinary nickel concentration is associated with elevated prevalence of Type 2 diabetes. The authors say that while this study highlights the potentially harmful role of heavy metals in the pathogenesis of Type 2 diabetes, further studies are warranted.
Source: Asian Scientist
Published: 20 Nov 2014
