Links Between Nickel Exposure and Diabetes in Observational Studies

A total of 12 studies with 30,018 participants found that each 1 µg/L increase of urinary nickel is associated with a 7% increase in diabetes risk.

• The pooled odds ratio for diabetes risk comparing the highest to lowest levels of urinary nickel exposure was 1.42.
• No significant association was found between blood nickel levels and diabetes risk, with a pooled odds ratio of 1.03.
• A linear relationship was identified between urinary nickel and diabetes risk, indicating a direct correlation.
• The analysis included assessments for heterogeneity and publication bias to ensure the robustness of the findings.
• Further high-quality prospective studies are needed to confirm these results and clarify the relationship.

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