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Could using nail polish and hair sprays hurt your health?

According to a Brigham and Women's Hospital study, increased concentrations of a group of chemicals, phthalates, found in personal care products such as moisturizers, nail polishes, soaps, hair sprays and perfumes increase the risk of diabetes in women. The chemical group is also used in adhesives, electronics, toys.

The study is published in the July 13, 2012 online edition of Environmental Health Perspectives.

Researchers examined the urinary concentrations of the chemical in 2,350 women who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and concluded that women with higher levels of the chemical in their urine were more likely to have diabetes.

According to researchers, women who had the highest levels of the chemicals had almost twice the risk of diabetes compared to women with the lowest levels of those chemicals.

The findings suggest that phthalates could disrupt blood sugar metabolism, said study researcher Tamarra James-Todd, of Brigham and Women's Hospital's Division of Women's Health.

"This is an important first step in exploring the connection between phthalates and diabetes," said James-Todd. "We know that in addition to being present in personal care products, phthalates also exist in certain types of medical devices and medication that is used to treat diabetes and this could also explain the higher level of phthalates in diabetic women. So overall, more research is needed."

According to the CDC, almost 13 million women aged 20 years or older in the United States are living with the disease.