Radon exposure linked to increased risk of gestational diabetes

In a recent interview with Contemporary OB/GYN, Ka Kahe, MD, ScD, MPH, a professor at Columbia University's OB-GYN and Epidemiology departments, discussed the relationship between radon exposure and gestational diabetes.

Gestational diabetes is a significant pregnancy complication that affects the health of both mothers and their babies, with long-term impacts such as an increased risk of type 2 diabetes for mothers and a higher likelihood of diabetes for children later in life. Understanding its risk factors is critical to developing effective prevention strategies.

Kahe explained findings from a study analyzing data from the Newmark study, which involved approximately 10,000 pregnant individuals across 8 health centers. Researchers utilized radon exposure data from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, based on EPA indoor radon assessments.

Participants were divided into 3 groups based on radon concentration levels: low (below 1 picocurie per liter), moderate (1 to 2 picocuries per liter), and high (above 2 picocuries per liter). The study found a 37% increased risk of gestational diabetes among individuals living in areas with the highest radon concentrations compared to those in the lowest-exposure group. Additionally, the risk was further elevated among smokers and individuals exposed to high levels of particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution in high-radon areas.

Kahe emphasized the importance of considering environmental factors alongside lifestyle and genetic risk factors when evaluating gestational diabetes risk. These findings highlight the need for health care providers to account for environmental exposures, such as radon and air pollution, to improve maternal and child health outcomes.

However, Kahe noted the study’s limitations. It was an ecological study that relied on county-level radon data rather than individual-level exposure or biomarkers, making it necessary to conduct further research before drawing definitive conclusions or establishing causality.