Your air purifier could stop you getting diabetes, study finds

Your air purifier could stop you getting diabetes, study finds The findings could have major implications for the 115 million Americans living with prediabetes, most of whom don’t know they have the condition - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in People who use air purifiers in their homes could also be unknowingly regulating their blood sugar levels, new research from NYU Langone Health suggests. Using air purifiers for a month helped cut levels of harmful air pollution tied to spikes in blood sugar and developing diabetes by 36 percent, according to the study presented last month at a conference of the American Heart Association. The study involved 75 New Yorkers with prediabetes, a condition in which blood sugar levels are higher than normal. It found those who slept in rooms with the machines saw an 8 percent drop in daily blood sugar spikes. A similar drop was also seen among those in the study who ate breakfast. Experts believe the polluting particles can get into the bloodstream, triggering inflammation that leads to diabetes and raises cardiovascular risks. Purifiers help counter this pollution and are designed to capture at least 99.97 percent of fine airborne particles larger than at least 0.3 micrometer. The findings could have major implications for the 115 million Americans living with prediabetes, most of whom don’t know they have the condition. Prediabetes raises the risk for developing Type 2 diabetes, and people who have large swings in blood sugar are more at risk. "Our findings suggest that cleaner air at home, especially in the bedroom, may help people with prediabetes keep their blood sugar steady and blunt morning spikes," lead author Dr. Sharine Wittkopp, from the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, said in a statement. "Installing HEPA filters offers an easy, low-cost tool to help protect heart and metabolic health along with healthy eating, regular exercise and prescribed medications.” Participants in the experiment wore sensors that monitored blood sugar every few minutes for a week before the test and after four weeks of using the filters. That way, the researchers could track how daily blood sugar levels changed over time. The researchers also used an AI tool that analyzed blood sugar patterns to detect when people were eating and see changes during breakfast. The NYU team plans to run longer-term studies, looking at whether air filtration can slow or stop the progression from prediabetes to diabetes and whether it can reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke and other signs of cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome. "Our results add to a growing body of evidence that poor air quality is a threat not only to lung health but to heart and metabolic health as well,” senior author Dr. Jonathan Newman said. "These findings support broader efforts to reduce air pollution and suggest that healthcare providers should consider indoor air quality when helping patients manage their cardiometabolic risk.” The findings may not apply to people who already have diabetes or are living in different air quality than New York. Nor does the study prove that air filtration caused improvements in blood sugar, but rather points to the benefits of reducing air pollution. How much air pollution could contribute to blood sugar rises isn’t completely clear. However previous research has found that air pollution contributes significantly to diabetes case increases worldwide. The diabetes risk occurs even at levels of air pollution considered to be safe by the U.S. government. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments