A new study found that higher levels of mercury exposure in young adults increases their risks for type 2 diabetes later in life by 65 percent. The study, led by( Indiana University School of Public Health) Bloomington epidemiologist Ka He, is the first to establish the link between mercury and diabetes in humans.

3,875 American young adults, aged 20–32 years, free of diabetes in 1987 (baseline), were enrolled and followed up six times until 2005. Baseline toenail mercury levels were measured with instrumental neutron-activation analysis. Incident diabetes was identified by plasma glucose levels, oral glucose tolerance tests, hemoglobin A1C levels, and/or antidiabetic medications.
The study results say people with high mercury exposure in young adulthood may have elevated risk of diabetes later in life. The hazard ratio (95% CI) of incident diabetes compared to the highest to the lowest quintiles of mercury exposure was 1.65 (1.07–2.56; Pfor trend = 0.02). Higher mercury exposure at baseline was also significantly associated with decreased homeostatic model assessment β-cell function index (P for trend < 0.01).