There’s no surprise: more than two in five American adults have prediabetes.
This condition causes higher than normal blood sugar levels, which increase with certain foods. Without lifestyle changes, up to 70% will develop type 2 diabetes.
But prediabetes is a warning sign, not a life sentence. Doctors will recommend losing weight, changing your diet, and doing more exercise to get out of the prediabetic blood sugar zone.
New research indicates another tool could help manage prediabetes – while you sleep.
Sleeping with air purifiers stabilized blood sugar levels in people with prediabetes during the day, NYU Langone researchers found.
Here’s how what’s in your air affects your blood.
Air pollution and prediabetes
Foods like grains and sugars are broken down into glucose which passes into the bloodstream. In response, the pancreas produces insulin to move glucose into cells for energy.
In people with prediabetes, insulin production has trouble keeping up with blood sugar levels, causing dramatic spikes in blood sugar. Over time, these spikes put increased pressure on the pancreas, decreasing its function, thus making the situation worse, potentially leading to type 2 diabetes.
Research is growing on the link between air pollution and diabetes. Experts believe that microscopic pieces of dust, dirt, smoke and soot enter the lungs and enter the bloodstream.
It can contribute to everything from heart disease and stroke to cancer and kidney disease. But in diabetes, they think it triggers inflammation that damages cells, disrupting their response to insulin.
A 2024 study in mice suggests that air pollution creates inflammation in the brain, either directly or from inflammation in the lungs. The brain’s immune system responds and disrupts insulin signaling in the hypothalamus.
Purify the air
For the first time in humans, researchers tested whether high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters could control blood sugar spikes that worsen prediabetes.
They had half of the participants sleep with real filters for a month, while the other half slept with fake filters that didn’t actually clean the air. Participants wore continuous glucose monitors that took blood sugar readings every few minutes.
Real filters clean 36% of harmful air particles. Cleaner air was associated with nearly an 8% drop in blood sugar fluctuations.
“Our results suggest that cleaner air at home, particularly in the bedroom, may help people with prediabetes keep their blood sugar levels stable,” said lead author and cardiologist Sharine L. Wittkopp.
One of the most effective swings is the one that takes place right after breakfast.
Morning blood sugar levels may already be high due to the dawn phenomenon, when cortisol and growth hormone signal the liver to increase glucose early in the morning to provide energy for waking up. Insulin can also drop during the night, another factor that increases blood sugar levels.
By the time you eat breakfast, blood sugar levels are already high.
Researchers in this new study found that air purifiers contributed to this. Total blood sugar after breakfast dropped by 17% on average and peak levels decreased by 13%.
Other benefits
Separate research suggests that air pollution worsens cardiovascular disease and increases the risk of cardiovascular events like a heart attack.
“Our findings add to a growing body of evidence that poor air quality poses a threat not only to lung health, but also to heart and metabolic health,” said author Jonathan Newman.
“These findings support broader efforts to reduce air pollution and suggest that healthcare providers should consider indoor air quality when helping patients manage their cardiometabolic risk.”
Not all air filters are equal. HEPA filters trap microscopic irritants like dust, pollen, mold and bacteria and must meet U.S. Department of Energy standards.
“Installing HEPA filters offers a simple, inexpensive tool to help protect heart and metabolic health as well as a healthy diet, regular physical activity and prescribed medications.” » said Wittkopp.
Gn Health
