Environmental Burden of Disease in American Indians
Figure Reference: Boyer K, Domingo-Relloso A, Jiang E, Haack K, Goessler W, Zhang Y, Umans JG, Belsky DW, Cole S, Navas-Acien A, Kupsco A*. Metal Mixtures and DNA Methylation Measures of Biological Aging in American Indian Populations. Environment International. 2023, 178: 108064.
American Indian communities suffer from a greater burden of diabetes and cardiovascular disease than other race/ethnicities in the United States. Individuals in many of these communities are often also exposed to higher concentrations of environmental toxicants via drinking water from unregulated private wells, proximity to legacy mining sites, or traditional diets. The Strong Heart Study is the largest study of cardiovascular disease among American Indians in the Southwest and the Northern Plains, ongoing since 1989. Key findings from the SHS have identified arsenic, cadmium and lead as critical determinants of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Our work has sought to enhance this knowledge through the application of epigenetic aging and epigenetic biomarkers of exposure. In a study on epigenetic age acceleration, we found that Cd was associated with increased epigenetic age acceleration across all clocks and while mixtures analysis suggested nonlinear associations between Se and DunedinPACE, GrimAge, and PhenoAge acceleration. We also found that epigenetic biomarkers of lead were associated with cardiovascular disease mortality. We continue to expand this work with studies through the Superfund Research Program examining additional epigenetic biomarkers and microRNAs.
Learn more about the Columbia University Northern Plains Superfund Research Program
Sample Publications
Lieberman-Cribbin W; Li Z; Lewin M; Ruiz P; Jarrett J; Cole S; Kupsco A; O'Leary M; Pichler G; Shimbo D; Devereux R; Umans J; Navas-Acien A; Nigra A. The Contribution of Declines in Blood Lead Levels to Reductions in Blood Pressure Levels: Longitudinal Evidence in the Strong Heart Family Study. JAHA. In press
Boyer K, Domingo-Relloso A, Jiang E, Haack K, Goessler W, Zhang Y, Umans JG, Belsky DW, Cole S, Navas-Acien A, Kupsco A*. Metal Mixtures and DNA Methylation Measures of Biological Aging in American Indian Populations. Environment International. 2023, 178: 108064. PMCID: PMC10617409
Lieberman-Cribbin W, Domingo-Relloso A, Navas-Acien A, Cole S, Haack K, Umans J, Tellez-Plaza M, Colicino E, Baccarelli AA, Gao X, Kupsco A*. Epigenetic biomarkers of lead exposure and cardiovascular disease: prospective evidence in the Strong Heart Study. J Am Heart Assoc. 2022 Dec 6;11(23):e026934. PMCID: PMC9851430