Effects of Beta-Hexachlorocyclohexane on Diabetes and Blood Concentration of Lipids

Introduction: Recent studies suggest that exposure to ?-Hexachlorocyclohexane (?-HCH) may be associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and obesity-related metabolic disorders. A biomonitoring study, conducted on residents in the Sacco Valley (Italy), found high values of ?-HCH in people living close to the river, which have been subjected to an epidemiological and health surveillance. Aims: To evaluate the effects of ?-HCH serum concentration on diabetes and blood levels of lipids among people living within 1 Km from the Sacco River. Materials and Methods: The outcomes considered were diabetes/prediabetes, fasting plasma glucose and glycosylated haemoglobin, total cholesterol, HDL and LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, body mass index (BMI). Wet-weight concentration of ?-HCH (ng/mL) in quartiles was used as the exposure variable. Linear regression analysis was used to study the association with continuous biochemical parameters (log scale) expressed as GMR, and multinomial logistic regression mode...