Abstract

Background: Hispanics/Latinos represent >15% of the United States (US) population and experience a high burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes. Dietary exposure, particularly to arsenic (As), may be associated with CVD and diabetes in Hispanics/Latinos. Rural populations in the US exposed to As in drinking water have increased risk of diabetes and CVD; however, little is known about the risk among urban populations with low As in water who are mostly exposed to As through food. Methods: To explore the levels of inorganic arsenic exposure (the sum of inorganic and methylated arsenic species in urine, ∑As, corrected by a residual-based method) in persons of Hispanic/Latino origin, we conducted a pilot study quantifying urinary arsenic levels among 45 participants in the Study of Latinos: Nutrition & Physical Activity Assessment Study (SOLNAS). Results: The median (interquartile range) of the urinary arsenic species (µg/L) were as follows: inorganic As 0.6 (0.4, 1.0), monomethylarsonic acid 1.2 (0.7, 1.9), dimethylarsinic acid 7.2 (4.3, 15.3), and ∑As 6.0 (4.3, 10.5). Conclusions: This study adds to the existing evidence that harmful forms of arsenic are present in this group of Hispanics/Latinos.

Highlights

  • Evidence from populations exposed to arsenic (As) in drinking water in rural areas has shown an increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) [1]

  • We conducted a pilot study examining As levels, using stored spot urine samples, in randomly selected participants (11 participants from the Bronx, Chicago and Miami and 12 from San Diego) within the SOLNAS to determine if urinary arsenic levels are detectable and elevated compared to other populations

  • SOLNAS visits correspond to the first visit for the SOLNAS ancillary study, second visit (6–12 days later) and third visit (6–12 months later). † Sum of Inorganic As (iAs), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) before correcting for seafood As; ¥ arsenic not derived from seafood estimated using sum of inorganic and methylated arsenic species applying a residual-based method to remove the impact of seafood arsenicals using urine arsenobetaine, a seafood arsenical that correlates with other seafood arsenicals (previously validated in Jones et al (2016))

Read more

Summary

Introduction

Evidence from populations exposed to arsenic (As) in drinking water in rural areas has shown an increased risk of diabetes and CVD [1]. Grains and some juices are a major dietary source of inorganic arsenic (iAs), and fish and shellfish of organic arsenicals are common foods among Hispanics/Latinos [9,10,11]. Rice was a major source of exposure to As in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) study, and Hispanic/Latino and Asian Americans were exposed to higher iAs than Whites and Blacks [14]. This study used urine arsenic measurements at a single point in time, and the stability of these arsenic measures in Hispanics/Latinos is unknown. Given this background, we conducted a pilot study in SOLNAS, to explore if urinary As levels were present and potentially elevated in diverse, urban Hispanic/Latino communities.

Materials and Methods
Laboratory Analyses
Statistical Analyses
Results
Discussion
Conclusions
Methods

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.