The association of type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance/secretion with persistent organic pollutants in two First Nations communities in northern Ontario

Aims Recent evidence suggests an association between persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and type 2 diabetes. In two First Nations communities where wild food is consumed by a large portion of the population, we compared pollutants in plasma between diabetic and non-diabetic individuals, and investigated the strength of association between pollutants and insulin resistance/secretion in non-diabetic individuals. Methods The study population consisted of 72 participants. Oral Glucose Tolerance Tests were used to assess diabetes status. Plasma was used to determine POP concentrations and mercury concentrations were determined from hair samples. Results Age-adjusted plasma concentrations of some pollutants were significantly higher in diabetic than in non-diabetic individuals. When taking into account age, adiposity levels, and smoking status, POP levels were not associated with insulin resistance nor with insulin secretion in non-diabetic individuals. Conclusions These findings confirm that POP concentrations in plasma may be higher in diabetic than in non-diabetic individuals. No association was however seen between POP concentrations and markers of insulin resistance/secretion in non-diabetic individuals.