Effects of air pollution exposure on glucose metabolism in Los Angeles minority children.

OBJECTIVES

Growing evidence indicates that ambient (AAP: NO2 , PM2.5 and O3 ) and traffic-related air pollutants (TRAP) contribute to metabolic disease risk in adults; however, few studies have examined these relationships in children.

METHODS

Metabolic profiling was performed in 429 overweight and obese African-American and Latino youth living in urban Los Angeles, California. This cross-sectional study estimated individual residential air pollution exposure and used linear regression to examine relationships between air pollution and metabolic outcomes.

RESULTS

AAP and TRAP exposure were associated with adverse effects on glucose metabolism independent of body fat percent. PM2.5 was associated with 25.0% higher fasting insulin (p < 0.001), 8.3% lower insulin sensitivity (p < 0.001), 14.7% higher acute insulin response to glucose (p = 0.001) and 1.7% higher fasting glucose (p < 0.001). Similar associations were observed for increased NO2 exposure. TRAP from non-freeway roads was associated with 12.1% higher insulin (p < 0.001), 6.9% lower insulin sensitivity (p = 0.02), 10.8% higher acute insulin response to glucose (p = 0.003) and 0.7% higher fasting glucose (p = 0.047).

CONCLUSIONS

Elevated air pollution exposure was associated with a metabolic profile that is characteristic of increased risk for type 2 diabetes. These results indicate that increased prior year exposure to air pollution may adversely affect type 2 diabetes-related pathophysiology in overweight and obese minority children.