Kids, Pregnant Women, Farmers Most at Risk of Diabetes and Obesity from Pesticide Exposure, Studies Find

A systematic review of studies published in Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology found strong associations between pesticide exposure and insulin resistance, a key factor in the development of diabetes, obesity, chronic kidney disease and other metabolic disorders. Children, pregnant women and farmers are most at risk.

A review published in Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology finds organophosphate, organochlorine and pyrethroid pesticides have links to insulin resistance (IR) associated with metabolic disorders like diabetes, obesity, chronic kidney disease and hypertension.

Metabolic disorders are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality, with over 11% (more than 37 million) of individuals in the U.S. having diabetes, and cases are growing by the millions annually.

Additionally, there is a rise in metabolic disorders among young people.

Studies find that low levels of pesticide exposure during pregnancy or childhood cause adverse health effects, including metabolic disorders tied to gut microbiome disruption (dysbiosis).

With increasing rates of diabetes and obesity, the two most prominent metabolic diseases in the review, studies like these highlight the importance of evaluating how chemical contaminants deregulate normal bodily function through metabolic changes.

To investigate the association between pesticide exposure and insulin-related metabolic disorders in humans, researchers searched the PubMed database for articles, performing a systematic review.

“IR is defined as a pathological state in which a higher-than-normal level of insulin is required to produce the optimal response in cells.”

The search generated 4,051 articles related to the topic. However, after excluding duplicates and irrelevant studies, 75 epidemiologic studies linked human exposure to pesticides and IR-related metabolic diseases remained.

In total, 30 articles find an association with diabetes, 20 with obesity, seven with hypertension (associated with cardiac issues), seven with chronic kidney disease, six with metabolic syndrome (i.e., high blood pressure, sugar and serum triglycerides) and three with polycystic ovarian syndrome.