Association between urinary concentrations of bisphenol A and type 2 diabetes in Korean adults: A population-based cross-sectional study

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a synthetic phenolic compound to which the general public may be exposed via consumer products and environmental contamination. We assessed the association between urinary BPA concentration and the prevalence of type 2 diabetes. This cross-sectional study included Korean adult participants (n = 1210) aged 40–69 years and was based on the 2009 Korean National Human Biomonitoring Survey. Demographic characteristics and medical history of type 2 diabetes were collected from the participants by questionnaire, and BPA levels were determined by analysis of urine samples. The mean age of the participants was 53.4 years and 41.6% were men; the prevalence of type 2 diabetes differed according to demographic characteristics. The geometric mean urinary BPA levels of participants with and without type 2 diabetes were 2.03 and 2.40 ng/mL, respectively. Among BPA quartiles, no clear association was found between BPA levels and type 2 diabetes. Although the adjusted odds ratio of type 2 diabetes was slightly increased for participants in the upper BPA quartile, the association was not statistically significant. These findings suggest that a high body BPA burden may not be associated with an increased prevalence of type 2 diabetes in Korean adults.