Overview

• A nested case-control analysis within Mount Sinai’s BioMe cohort compared 180 new type 2 diabetes cases to 180 matched controls and found each increase in PFAS blood levels corresponded to a 31% higher diabetes risk.
• Investigators linked PFAS–diabetes associations to metabolic irregularities in amino acid biosynthesis and drug metabolism that may undermine glucose regulation.
• PFAS are synthetic chemicals used in nonstick cookware, waterproof fabrics and firefighting foams that resist breakdown and accumulate in the environment and human bodies.
• Researchers are calling for larger, longitudinal exposome studies that integrate genetic and environmental data across the lifespan to clarify PFAS impacts on chronic diseases.
• Federal data show 98% of Americans have measurable PFAS in their blood, underscoring widespread exposure and the need for preventive public health measures.