JAMA Netw Open

Does radon exposure increase the risk of gestational diabetes?

January 14, 2025

Study details: This multicenter, population-based cohort study used data from the Nulliparous Pregnancy Outcomes Study: Monitoring Mothers-to-Be (nuMoM2b) cohort and included participants from 8 U.S. clinical centers between October 2010 and September 2013. Participants with pregestational diabetes or missing data on gestational diabetes (GD) or county-level radon measurements were excluded.

Results: Among 9,107 participants, those living in counties with the highest radon levels (≥2 pCi/L) had higher odds of developing GD compared with those in counties with the lowest radon levels (<1 pCi/L) (odds ratio [OR], 1.37). The association remained after adjusting for PM2.5 (OR, 1.36). Elevated odds of GD were also observed in ever smokers in high radon areas (OR, 2.09) and participants in high radon and PM2.5 areas (OR 1.93).

Clinical impact: Environmental factors like radon exposure should be considered when assessing GD risk and developing preventive strategies.

Source:

Zhang Y, et al. (2025, January 2). JAMA Netw Open. Radon Exposure and Gestational Diabetes. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39792382/