High arsenic levels exposure linked to subclinical CVD in children: JAMA

A recent study by Brooks Gump and team from the Environmental Exposures and Child Health Outcomes (EECHO) cohort found the association between arsenic exposure and subclinical cardiovascular disease (CVD) in children. The findings were published in Journal of American Medical Association.

The study, a cross-sectional analysis, involved 245 children aged 9 to 11 years from the Syracuse, New York metropolitan area. The study measured total urinary arsenic levels in the participants using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and adjusted the results for urinary dilution using creatinine concentration.

The findings of the study were:

The geometric mean of the creatinine-adjusted total arsenic level in the population was 7.76 μg/g creatinine, indicating a notable presence of arsenic.

After adjusting for various factors, the researchers found a significant association between elevated total arsenic levels and two subclinical indicators of CVD: increased carotid intima media thickness and cardiac remodeling.

Specifically, children with elevated total arsenic levels exhibited greater carotid intima media thickness, a known marker for early-stage atherosclerosis, compared to their counterparts with lower arsenic levels.

Furthermore, echocardiography revealed that children with higher total arsenic levels had concentric hypertrophy, characterized by greater left ventricular mass and relative wall thickness.

Of particular concern is the observation that elevated total arsenic levels were clustered in one urban area of Syracuse, known for historical pollution from industrial waste. This geographic clustering provides further evidence of a potential link between toxic metal exposure and adverse health effects.

This study underscores the importance of addressing environmental factors that contribute to arsenic exposure and the need for effective public health measures to reduce the risk of such exposures. Further research will help inform strategies to mitigate the potential health impacts of arsenic and safeguard the well-being of children in affected areas.

Reference:

Gump, B. B., Heffernan, K., Brann, L. S., Hill, D. T., Labrie-Cleary, C., Jandev, V., MacKenzie, J. A., Atallah-Yunes, N. H., Palmer, C. D., Roberts, A. A., & Bendinskas, K. (2023). Exposure to Arsenic and Subclinical Cardiovascular Disease in 9- to 11-Year-Old Children, Syracuse, New York. In JAMA Network Open (Vol. 6, Issue 6, p. e2321379). American Medical Association (AMA). https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.21379