July 8, 2002
Research: Causes and Prevention
Question from Alabama, USA:
I live in a small city that contaminated with PCB’s and dioxins (supposedly the worst place to live in the United States according to the Forbes Magazine). My son (under age two) developed diabetes less than six months ago, and I know that the United Stated Veterans Administration has stated that they cause type 2 diabetes. Do you think that PCB’s and dioxins could have caused my son’s type 1 diabetes? We have no family history of type 1.
Answer:
I am not sure what the final word has been, but, from this announcement, it looks as though the VA will award compensation to military personnel exposed to Agent Orange who have subsequently developed type�2 diabetes. However, your question concerns a two year old who almost certainly has type�1A (autoimmune) diabetes, and in a rather extensive search of the literature, I found no evidence that PCB’s could trigger this kind of diabetes in the genetically susceptible child.
DOB
[Editor’s comment: Dioxin and Diabetes at the Diabetes Monitor.
WWQ]
