PM_2.5 and Diabetes in the Japanese Population

• Main Authors: Mihye Lee, Sachiko Ohde
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-06-01
• Series: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Subjects: diabetes mellitus; particulate matter; PM_2.5; air pollution; Japan; Tokyo
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/12/6653
• ISSN: 1661-7827; 1660-4601

Growing evidence suggests that PM_2.5 is associated with diabetes mellitus (DM). Although DM is a major public health concern, there has not yet been a study of this association in Japan. We used health examination data from 66,885 individuals in Tokyo, Japan 2005–2019. Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate an association between annual exposure to PM_2.5 and glycated hemoglobin A_1c (HbA_1c), or fasting plasma glucose (FPG). An increase of 1 μg/m³ in the annual average of PM_2.5 concentration was associated (HR = 1.029; 95% CI = 1.004–1.055) with an increase in diabetes (incident + prevalent). For incident DM, a greater PM_2.5 level was associated with more DM (HR = 1.029; 95% CI, 1.003–1.055). Compared to HbA_1c, FPG showed a stronger association with the annual exposure to PM_2.5 (HR = 1.065; 95% CI, 1.040–1.091). We found that greater exposure to PM_2.5 in the long-term was associated with an increased risk of diabetes, and that the magnitude of association became stronger as the exposure duration increased. Omorogieva Ojo