The incidents that occurred in Fukushima (Japan, March 11, 2011) and Chernobyl (Ukraine-USSR, April 26, 1986) are equally classified as level 7 nuclear accidents, the highest on the international scale in this matter. . Important conclusions have been drawn from both misfortunes about the risks and safety requirements of nuclear energy technology. They have also been laboratories (if we may use the expression) in which to learn about the social, environmental and health impacts of accidents at nuclear power plants in general. Furthermore, the detailed study of the consequences of these incidents has contributed to improving scientific knowledge of the health consequences of exposure to ionizing radiation (radioactivity).
An innovative scientific study based on the consequences of the Fukushima accident, the results of which have been presented this week, provides data on a relationship that until now was little known: exposure to low doses of radiation as a risk factor for diabetes. In this case, it is radiation from an accident nuclear plant but, as indicated by those responsible for the study, its results could be extended to exposure to radiation from other sources, whether of natural origin (such as radon gas), or through medical tests. (x-rays) or accidental.
The first data on this research have been presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), which is held in Hamburg (Germany) from October 2 to 6.
The research that is now presented in preliminary form has been led by doctors Huan Hu and Toshiteru Ohkubo, from the Japanese National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, and has involved the participation of more than 5,000 emergency workers who participated in post-hoc care. Fukushima accident; some works in which around 20,000 people worked.
The flood and explosions at the Japanese nuclear power plant released considerable amounts of radioactive materials into the environment. In 2014, the Epidemiological Study of Health Effects on Fukushima Emergency Workers was established to clarify the long-term health effects of radiation.
There are several studies on long-term health effects of exposure to radioactivity, but until now none have been carried out specifically dedicated to diabetes.
To learn more in this particular area, the researchers examined the association between exposure to low doses of radiation and the risk of diabetes in 5,326 male emergency workers (average age 46 years) who participated in the study.
Between March and December 2011, each emergency worker's radiation exposure was measured using a pocket alarm dosimeter for external exposure and a whole-body counter for internal exposure.
Study participants underwent regular health screenings involving more than 70 components, including blood sugar, lipids, urinalysis, inflammation biomarkers, thyroid function tests, and eye exams.
Between 2012 and 2021, 392 of the study participants were diagnosed with diabetes.
The researchers evaluated the association between incident diabetes and cumulative radiation exposure after adjusting for a wide range of potential confounders, including age, body mass index, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, physical activity in free time, employment at the nuclear power plant, dyslipidemia (abnormally high). fat levels in the blood) and high blood pressure.
The analysis found that, compared to cumulative exposure to low doses of lower radiation (0-4 millisieverts [mSv]), the risk of developing diabetes was 6% higher for workers exposed to 5-9 mSv, and a 47% and 33% higher for workers exposed to 5-9 mSv. those exposed to 10-19 mSv and 20-49 mSv, respectively.
However, no elevated risk was detected in those exposed to radiation doses of 50 mSv or higher, probably due to the small sample size in this group.
“Our findings suggest an increased risk of diabetes among nuclear emergency workers due to low levels of radiation. While potential mechanisms remain unclear, reports suggest that radiation may negatively affect pancreatic cells responsible for insulin production, which could contribute to diabetes. Furthermore, there is an association between radiation exposure and increased inflammation, a well-known factor in insulin resistance and the development of diabetes,” explained Dr. Huan Hu, lead author of the study, in a note. disseminated by the European Association for the Study of Diabetes.
In Europe, according to data presented by the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, the average exposure to background radiation from natural sources, including radon gas in homes and cosmic rays from outer space. By country, this ranges from about 2.7 mSv per year in the United Kingdom to more than 7 mSv per year for some groups of people in Finland.
In comparison, a single chest x-ray exposes a patient to approximately 0.1 mSv of radiation and a single mammogram to 0.4 mSv. Some other imaging tests have higher exposures, including a full spine CT scan (10 mSv) and a positron emission tomography scan (25 mSv).
