Nitrate levels in community drinking waters and risk of IDDM. An ecological analysis

• Published in: Diabetes care Vol. 15; no. 11; pp. 1505 - 1508
• Main Authors: KOSTRABA, J. N, GAY, E. C, REWERS, M, HAMMAN, R. F
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Alexandria, VA American Diabetes Association 01.11.1992
• Subjects: Adolescent; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Colorado - epidemiology; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - epidemiology; Diabetes. Impaired glucose tolerance; Endocrine pancreas. Apud cells (diseases); Endocrinopathies; Ethnic Groups; Etiopathogenesis. Screening. Investigations. Target tissue resistance; Humans; Incidence; Medical sciences; Nitrates - analysis; Registries; Regression Analysis; Risk Factors; Water Supply - analysis; Colorado; USA, Colorado; Endocrinopathy; Human; Insulin dependent diabetes; Immunopathology; Environmental factor; Risk factor
• ISSN: 0149-5992; 1935-5548
• DOI: 10.2337/diacare.15.11.1505

Nitrate levels in community drinking waters and risk of IDDM. An ecological analysis. J N Kostraba , E C Gay , M Rewers and R F Hamman Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver 80262. Abstract OBJECTIVE--To investigate whether higher IDDM incidence rates occurred in areas with high nitrate levels in their potable water supplies. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS--Incidence rates for the 63 counties in Colorado were calculated using the Colorado IDDM Registry of children diagnosed < 18 yr of age between 1978 and 1988 (n = 1280). A weighted average of the nitrate levels from each water district within each county was calculated using data collected by the Colorado Department of Health between 1984 and 1988. RESULTS--The rs between nitrate levels and IDDM incidence was 0.26 (P = 0.03). After controlling for differences in ethnicity, counties with water nitrate levels in the third tertile (0.77-8.2 mg/L) had a significantly increased risk of IDDM compared with those in the first tertile (0.0-0.084 mg/L) (rp = 0.29, P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS--This ecological analysis suggests that low-level nitrate exposure through drinking water may play a role in the etiology of IDDM, perhaps as a promoter through the generation of free radicals.