Personal care products linked to type 2 diabetes in women?

A US study has linked diabetes in women to commonly used personal care products such as moisturizer, nail polish, soap, hair spray and perfume. The study, led by researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, shows an association between increased concentrations of phthalates in the body and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in women. Phthalates are endocrine disrupting chemicals that are commonly found in personal care products, according to the US News and World Report, and also used in adhesives, electronics, toys, plastic food wrappers, medical equipment, and building materials such as vinyl flooring. This finding was published in the July 13, 2012 online edition of Environmental Health Perspectives. According to Medical News Today, the team led by Tamara James-Todd, Ph.D., a researcher in the Division of Women's Health at BWH, examined the urine of 2,350 women from across the US for phthalates. Results showed that participants with high levels of phthalates in their urine were nearly twice as likely to suffer type 2 diabetes. The study also found: Women who had the highest levels of the chemicals mono-benzyl phthalate and mono-isobutyl phthalate had twice the risk of diabetes. Women had a 70 percent increased risk of diabetes with moderately high levels of the chemicals di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate and mono-n-butyl phthalate. Women had a 60 percent increased risk of diabetes with higher than average levels of mono- (3-carboxypropyl) phthalate. However, the researchers cautioned that the women in the study "self-reported" their diabetes. And while the study found a potential connection between phthalates and diabetes, it did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship. The US Food and Drug Administration has more about phthalates and cosmetic products. US News and World Report cited a statement from James-Todd as saying: "This is an important first step in exploring the connection between phthalates and diabetes. "We know that in addition to being present in personal care products, phthalates also exist in certain types of medical devices and medication that is used to treat diabetes and this could also explain the higher level of phthalates in diabetic women. So overall, more research is needed." Foodconsumer.org, meantime, cited a study presented at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston last month as finding that children exposed to di-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), a common type of phthalate, were more likely to develop obesity.