"Chemicals commonly found in beauty products such as nail polishes, hair sprays and perfumes may increase risk of diabetes for some women, new research suggests."

"Researchers analyzed urine samples from 2,350 women who participated in the long-running National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a nationally representative sample of American women. They were looking for concentrations of chemicals known as phthalates, which are often found in personal care products and in adhesives, electronics, products used to manufacture cars, toys, packaging and even some coatings for medications.

Phthalates are considered "endocrine-disrupting" because they can alter normal regulation of certain mechanisms in the body, including hormone regulation, and have been tied in previous research to diabetes and obesity risk, Dr. Kenneth Spaeth, director of the Occupational and Environmental Medicine Center's department of population health at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y., told HealthPop. He was not involved in the study."

Ryan Jaslow reports for CBS News July 16, 2012. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"Urinary Phthalate Metabolite Concentrations and Diabetes among Women in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001-2008" (Environmental Health Perspectives) [3]