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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article

Front. Public Health
Sec. Occupational Health and Safety
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1463880

Association between nickel exposure and diabetes risk: an updated meta-analysis of observational studies

Provisionally accepted
Huaye Lu Huaye Lu 1Xiaoyang Shi Xiaoyang Shi 1*Han Lei Han Lei 1Xin Liu Xin Liu 1*Qingtao Jiang Qingtao Jiang 2*
  • 1 Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control And Prevention, Nanjing, China
  • 2 Department of clinical medicine, Jiangsu Health Vocational College, Nanjing, China, Nanjing, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The results of epidemiological studies on the association between nickel exposure and diabetes remain controversial. Therefore, an update meta-analysis was conducted to examine the association between urinary nickel levels and diabetes risk, and to focus on whether there is an association between blood nickel levels and diabetes risk.Methods: Relevant studies were comprehensively searched from PubMed, Web of Science, and Wanfang databases from their inception to July 2024. The random-effects model was utilized to determine pooled SMD (Standard Mean Difference) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), with stratified and sensitivity analyses also performed. Heterogeneity between studies was assessed using I2 statistic, while publication bias was evaluated using Egger's and Begg's tests. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.Results: A total of 19 studies involving 46071 participants were included in this meta-analysis. The random-effects model indicated that the pooled SMD for nickel exposure levels in diabetic patients and non-diabetic controls were 0.16 (95% CI 0.07-0.2) for urine and 0.03 (95% CI -0.20-0.27) for blood, respectively.It was discovered that diabetes risk was positively correlated with urinary nickel levels, whereas there was no significant correlation with blood nickel levels. Furthermore, it appeared that the association between nickel exposure and diabetes risk differ in individuals with diabetes compared to those with pre-diabetes, and that the direction of the correlation may even be reversed. In conclusion, more high-quality prospective studies are needed in order to validate these findings in future research endeavors.

    Keywords: Nickel, heavy metal, diabetes, Hyperglycemia, Meta-analysis

    Received: 12 Jul 2024; Accepted: 14 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Lu, Shi, Lei, Liu and Jiang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Xiaoyang Shi, Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control And Prevention, Nanjing, China
    Xin Liu, Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control And Prevention, Nanjing, China
    Qingtao Jiang, Department of clinical medicine, Jiangsu Health Vocational College, Nanjing, China, Nanjing, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.