Successful hepatitis B vaccination may reduce the risk of diabetes by up to 33 per cent.

A recent study published in PLOS One, found that those who have been successfully vaccinated against hepatitis B were less likely to develop diabetes compared to those who have not received the vaccine.

One of the research authors, Professor Ken C Chiu from the City of Hope Department of Clinical Diabetes, Endocrinology & Metabolism, said although the mechanism of how the vaccine might reduce the risk of diabetes is still unclear, the initial results show that additional research is needed.

"The study showed people vaccinated with hepatitis B have a much lower risk for diabetes," Prof Chiu said. "If we can vaccinate patients effectively, there's a good chance for us to reduce the risk of diabetes," Prof Chiu said.

The cross-sectional study analysed data from 15,316 adults with no history of diabetes who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in the United States.

The City of Hope researchers are now looking at further study to investigate the link between the hepatitis B vaccine and diabetes resistance.

Image: Syringe and vaccine by NIAID via flickr on Creative Commons Licence