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

Written By : Jacinthlyn Sylvia |Medically Reviewed By : Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli Published On 2023-07-03T20:00:09+05:30 | Updated On 3 July 2023 8:00 PM IST

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

arsenic levelJAMA Network Opencardiac hypertrophy

Source : JAMA Network Open

Jacinthlyn Sylvia

Neuroscience Masters graduate

Jacinthlyn Sylvia, a Neuroscience Master's graduate from Chennai has worked extensively in deciphering the neurobiology of cognition and motor control in aging. She also has spread-out exposure to Neurosurgery from her Bachelor’s. She is currently involved in active Neuro-Oncology research. She is an upcoming neuroscientist with a fiery passion for writing. Her news cover at Medical Dialogues feature recent discoveries and updates from the healthcare and biomedical research fields. She can be reached at editorial@medicaldialogues.in

Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli

Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751