Can PFAS increase diabetes and heart disease risk if you have prediabetes?
Yes. Adults with prediabetes and higher PFAS levels were more likely to develop cardiovascular disease and progress to type 2 diabetes.
What's actually in it
PFAS from nonstick cookware, grease-proof packaging, stain-resistant textiles, and contaminated water accumulate in blood over time. People with prediabetes already have impaired metabolism. Adding PFAS creates extra stress on metabolic pathways that are already struggling.
About 1 in 3 American adults has prediabetes, and most don't know it.
What the research says
A 2026 study in J Am Heart Assoc followed adults with prediabetes and measured their PFAS levels. Those with higher PFAS blood concentrations were more likely to develop cardiovascular disease and progress to full type 2 diabetes.
PFAS appear to worsen insulin resistance, lipid metabolism, and vascular inflammation in people whose metabolic systems are already compromised. The chemicals push borderline systems over the edge into disease.
For anyone with prediabetes, reducing PFAS exposure is especially urgent. Switch away from nonstick cookware, avoid fast food packaging, and filter tap water for PFAS.
The research at a glance
| Study | Journal | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Associations of Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances With Cardiovascular Disease Incidence in Adults With Prediabetes. | J Am Heart Assoc | 2026 |
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