Higher Radon Exposure Linked to Increased Odds of Gestational Diabetes

FRIDAY, Jan. 10, 2025 (HealthDay News) — In nulliparous pregnant individuals, higher radon exposure is associated with greater odds of gestational diabetes (GD), according to a study published online Jan. 10 in JAMA Network Open.

Yijia Zhang, Ph.D., from the Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City, and colleagues examined the association of county-level radon exposure with GD risk in a multicenter, population-based cohort study using data from the Nulliparous Pregnancy Outcomes Study: Monitoring Mothers-to-Be cohort. Data were included for 9,107 participants; 41.6 percent had ever used tobacco.

The researchers found that the mean county-level radon concentration was 1.6 pCi/L; 4.2 percent of participants had GD recorded. The odds of developing GD were higher for individuals living in counties with the highest radon level (≥2 pCi/L) compared with those living in counties with the lowest radon level (<1 pCi/L), after adjustment for potential confounders (odds ratio, 1.37; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.41 to 3.11); the odds ratio was attenuated to 1.36 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.00 to 1.86) after additional adjustment for fine particulate matter air pollutants (PM_2.5). Ever smokers living in counties with a higher (≥2 pCi/L) radon level and those living in counties with higher radon and PM_2.5 levels had elevated odds of GD (odds ratios [95 percent confidence intervals], 2.09 [1.41 to 3.11] and 1.93 [1.31 to 2.83], respectively), although there were no statistically significant interactions.

“This study provides a foundation for future research focusing on individual-level indoor radon measurement to confirm the findings and explore the underlying biological mechanisms,” the authors write.

Several authors disclosed ties to the health care industry.

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