Alaskan Eskimos Research Articles

Prevalence of smoking and its relationship with carotid atherosclerosis in Alaskan Eskimos of the Norton Sound region: The GOCADAN Study

Since 2000, the Genetics of Coronary Artery Disease in Alaska Natives (GOCADAN) study has been collecting information on cardiovascular disease (CVD) and its risk factors from 1,214 Alaska Natives of the Norton Sound region, a population with increasing rates of heart disease and stroke. Because smoking was reported in a large proportion of the participants, this analysis was undertaken to evaluate smoking patterns and their relation to other risk factors and to CVD. The relationships among smoking habits and demographic factors, body mass index, plasma fibrinogen, prevalent hypertension, and carotid plaque were evaluated. Eighty percent of participants had smoked 100+ cigarettes in their lifetime. Fifty-seven percent of women and 63% of men (p = .12) were current smokers: one in four smokers had quit. Current smokers (OR = 2.1; 95% CI = 1.1-3.8) and those who had quit <5 years ago (OR = 1.6; 95% CI = 1.1-2.2) were more likely than non-smokers to have carotid plaque. Pack-years smoked also were correlated with carotid plaque. The high prevalence of smoking and low rates of cessation in this population demonstrate an urgent need for smoking prevention and cessation programs among Alaskan Eskimos of the Norton Sound region and other Alaska Native groups.

Consumption of omega-3 fatty acids is not associated with a reduction in carotid atherosclerosis: The Genetics of Coronary Artery Disease in Alaska Natives study

Objective This study was designed to evaluate the relation between omega-3 fatty acid (FA) consumption and atherosclerosis. Background The hypothesis that omega-3 FAs protect against atherosclerosis has not been tested with objective measures of atherosclerosis. Methods A population-based sample of 1131 Alaskan Eskimos of age ≥18 underwent ultrasound assessment of carotid atherosclerosis. Those of age >35 ( N = 686) were included in the analysis. Diet was assessed by a food frequency questionnaire. Intimal–medial thickness (IMT) of the far wall of the distal common carotid arteries and plaque score (number of segments containing plaque) were assessed. Results Mean consumption of total omega-3 FAs was 4.76 g/day in those without and 5.07 g/day in those with plaque. In models adjusting for relevant risk factors, presence and extent of plaque were unrelated to intake of C20–22 omega-3 FAs or total omega-3 FAs. In contrast, the odds of plaque rose significantly with quartiles of palmitic ( p = 0.02) and stearic acid intake ( p = 0.04). The extent of plaque (or plaque score) was also associated with a higher percentage intake of palmitic acid ( p = 0.01). IMT was negatively associated with grams of C20–22 omega-3 FAs ( p = 0.05), total omega-3 ( p = 0.05), palmitate ( p = 0.03), and stearate ( p = 0.03) consumed. Conclusions Dietary intake of omega-3 FAs in a moderate-to-high range does not appear to be associated with reduced plaque, but is negatively associated with IMT. The presence and extent of carotid atherosclerosis among Eskimos is higher with increasing consumption of saturated FAs.

Otoscopic and Audiologic Findings in an Ati Community in Boracay

Background: Certain indigenous populations have been noted by the World Health Organization (WHO) to have the highest prevalence rates for chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM), including the Australian Aborigines (28-43%), Greenlanders (2-10%) and Alaskan Eskimos (2-10%).&#x0D; Objectives: To determine the prevalence of common ear problems, particularly CSOM, among the indigenous Ati or Aeta community in Bolabog, Boracay, and to determine their hearing sensitivity using screening audiometry.&#x0D; Methods:&#x0D; Study Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study.&#x0D; Setting: A small Ati community in Bolabog, Boracay.&#x0D; Population: A total of 63 adults and children underwent medical interview and otoscopy. Additionally 24 had their hearing screened by audiometry.&#x0D; Results: About a quarter of the population participated in the study, including 41 children (40% of all children) and 22 adults (18% of all adults). Forty-six percent of children and 23% of adults who were examined had previous history of ear discharge, while 22% of children and 45% of adults who were examined had history of hearing loss. Seventeen percent of children had history of hearing loss in the family. CSOM was found in 18 (43.90%) children and 8 (36.36%) adults. Impacted cerumen was found in 17.1% of children. Eleven female children underwent screening audiometry. Of these, eight had normal hearing and three had abnormal findings. Thirteen adults were also tested, five of whom were male and had normal hearing bilaterally. Four of eight female adults had abnormal hearing, of which three were unilateral.&#x0D; Conclusions: The Ati population in Bolabog, Boracay belongs to a group with the highest prevalence rates for CSOM (27.0%). A bigger sample for screening audiometry is required for proper estimation of hearing loss prevalence. Both environmental and genetic factors may have increased the prevalence of CSOM in the Ati population of Boracay.&#x0D; &#x0D; Keywords: Hearing loss, chronic suppurative otitis media, Boracay, indigenous community, Ati, Aeta

Common set of genes regulates low‐density lipoprotein size and obesity‐related factors in Alaskan Eskimos: Results from the GOCADAN Study

Increasing incidence of cardiovascular disease in traditionally low-risk Alaskan Eskimos is a cause for concern. The purpose of this study was to examine the genetic and environmental correlations of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) subfractions with obesity-related factors in Alaskan Eskimos, using data from the first 954 participants of the Genetics of Coronary Artery Disease in Alaska Natives Study. Estimates of genetic and environmental influence were calculated using a maximum likelihood variance component method implemented in SOLAR. Mean values of weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist were 73.4 +/- 0.5 kg, 27.6 +/- 0.2 kg/m2, and 88.0 +/- 0.4 cm, respectively. LDL, and its small (LDL1), medium (LDL2), and large (LDL3) subfractions, had mean values of 115.8 +/- 1.2 mg/dl, 8.3 +/- 0.4 mg/dl, 19.6 +/- 0.8 mg/dl, and 71.5 +/- 1.5 mg/dl, respectively. Bivariate analysis displayed significant genetic correlations between LDL subfractions and obesity-related factors: LDL1 with BMI (rhoG = 0.67, P < 0.05), waist (rhoG = 0.80, P < 0.001), and subscapular and tricep skinfolds (rhoG = 0.93, P < 0.005, and rhoG = 0.78, P < 0.05, respectively); LDL2 with BMI (rhoG = 0.52, P < 0.05), waist (rhoG = 0.46, P < 0.05), and tricep skinfold (rhoG = 0.60, P < 0.05); and mean LDL size with BMI (rhoG = -0.36), waist (rhoG = -0.42,), and subscapular and tricep skinfolds (rhoG = -0.44 and -0.43, respectively) (P < 0.005). These results show that a common set of genes is influencing LDL size and obesity-related factors in Alaskan Eskimos.

Recruitment and community interactions in the gocadan study

Objectives. To study heart and vascular disease in Alaskan Eskimos. To identify risk factors for CVD in Norton Sound Eskimos.Study Design. Participatory research. In this paper, procedures for selection and enrollment and providing feedback and referrals are described. Our working relationships with the Norton Sound Health Corporation (NSHC) Board, the village councils, individuals, and communities are also described.Methods. This study was conducted in the Norton Sound region of Alaska. The participants were members of Alaskan Eskimo families.Results. Procedures were formed for selecting and enrolling extended families into the study and for working with the NSHC Board, the village councils, and individual participants. The average participation was 82.6% of the age-eligible villagers in seven villages. A four-level referral system was designed. Test results were provided to participants in the form of letters, with duplicates sent to health care providers and medical records. A senior researcher returned to the village to explain the results to the participants.Conclusions. Principles of participatory research applied and developed in this study led to successful screening of 1214 Eskimos in nine villages between October 2000 and June 2004. This partnership developed into a relationship with the community, in which researchers and the communities mutually participated in the study, from the initiation of the design to the return of the data to the individuals, communities, and health care providers.

Prevalence and persistence of antibodies to herpes viruses, Chlamydia pneumoniae and Helicobacter pylori in Alaskan Eskimos: the GOCADAN Study

The prevalence and persistence of antibodies against cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpes simplex virus types 1 (HSV1) and 2 (HSV2), Helicobacter pylori and Chlamydia pneumoniae were determined in Alaskan Eskimos. The study included 610 individuals (mean age 43 +/- 15 years; 45% males) participating in the Genetics of Coronary Artery Disease in Alaska Natives (GOCADAN) study. Archived serum samples and those collected during the GOCADAN study were analysed for antibodies against the above pathogens by ELISA. The current prevalence of antibody seropositivity was 94% to CMV, 90% to HSV1, 38% to HSV2, 80% to H. pylori, and 42% to C. pneumoniae. The persistence of antibodies (in both archived and current samples) against CMV, HSV1 and H. pylori was high (83%, 84% and 67%, respectively) compared with those against HSV2 (26%) and C. pneumoniae (29%). Moreover, the seroconversion rates to these organisms were low. Most individuals acquired CMV, HSV1 and H. pylori antibodies by the age of 24 years (94%, 90% and 72%, respectively), and >50% carried HSV2 and C. pneumoniae antibodies by the age of 45 years. There were gender differences in antibody seropositivity rates. Over 70% of individuals had antibodies to at least three of the five pathogens tested. The study demonstrated the high prevalence and lifelong persistence of multiple antibodies, suggesting chronic infections among Alaskan Eskimos.

Omega-3 fatty acids improve glucose tolerance and components of the metabolic syndrome in Alaskan Eskimos: the Alaska Siberia project

Objectives. To test the hypothesis that the unusually low prevalences of insulin resistance (IR), metabolic syndrome (MS) and diabetes (DM) in Alaskan Eskimos, compared to American Indians, is related to the traditional Eskimo diet, high in C20-C22 ɷ-3 fatty acids (FAs). To determine if the relatively low blood pressures, low serum triglycerides and high HDL cholesterol levels in Eskimos result from high ɷ-3 FA consumption.Study Design. Cross-sectional study.Methods. We measured plasma FA concentrations in 447 Norton Sound Eskimos (35–74 years of age) and screened for DM, CHD and associated risk factors. A dietary assessment (24-hr recall) was obtained for comparison the day before the blood sampling.Results. Plasma ɷ-3 FA concentrations were highly correlated with dietary ɷ-3 FAs and HDL levels and inversely correlated with plasma levels of insulin, 2-h insulin (OGTT), HOMI-IR, 2-h glucose (OGTT), triglyceride levels and diastolic blood pressure.Conclusions. High consumption of ɷ-3 FAs positively affects components of the MS, insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. This finding suggests that high consumption of C20-C22 ɷ-3 FAs protects against the development of the MS and glucose intolerance. (Int J Circumpolar Health 2005; 64(4):396–408)

Cardiovascular disease and risk factors in three Alaskan Eskimo populations: the Alaska-Siberia project

Objectives. To determine the prevalence of CVD and to identify and characterize associated risk factors in three distinct Eskimo populations.Study Design. Cross-sectional.Methods. A slightly modified Strong Heart Study protocol was followed to examine 454 participants, aged 25–91, from four villages.Results. Overall, 6% of the participants under 55 years of age and 26% of those ≥ 55 years of age showed evidence of CHD by ECG, or in patient records. The prevalence of “definite coronary heart disease” (CHD) in women with glucose intolerance (GI) was 21.0%, compared to 2.4% in those with normal glucose tolerance (NGT). Men had comparable values of 26.7% and 6.3%. In addition, comparable values for “possible CHD” were 29.7% vs 6.0% for women and 21.4% vs 8.0% for men. GI was associated with relatively higher prevalences of CHD in women than in men (prevalence ratio = 8.5 vs 4.3). CHD was significantly related to age, glucose intolerance and insulin. Hypertension and obesity were significantly associated with CHD only in some ethnic groups. The prevalence of current smokers was 56%.Conclusions. Recent changes in lifestyle and diet of Alaskan Eskimos, leading to obesity, hypertension, insulin resistance and DM, contribute to an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. (Int J Circumpolar Health 2005; 64(4):365–386)

Eskimos have CHD despite high consumption of omega-3 fatty acids: the Alaska Siberia project

Objectives. The thirty-year-old hypothesis that omega-3 fatty acid (FA) may “reduce the development of thrombosis and atherosclerosis in the Western World” still needs to be tested. Dyerberg-Bang based their supposition on casual observations that coronary atherosclerosis in Greenlandic Inuit was ‘almost unknown’ and that they consumed large amounts of ɷ-3 FAs. However, no association was demonstrated with data.Study Design. Cross-sectional study.Methods. 454 Alaskan Eskimos were screened for coronary heart disease (CHD), using a protocol that included ECG, medical history, Rose questionnaire, blood chemistries, including plasma FA concentrations, and a 24-hour recall and a food frequency questionnaire assessment of ɷ-3 FA consumption.Results. CHD was found in 6 % of the cohort under 55 years of age and in 26 % of those ≥ 55 years of age. Eskimos with CHD consume as much ɷ-3 FAs as those without CHD, and the plasma concentrations confirm that dietary assessment.Conclusions. Average daily consumption of ɷ-3 FAs among Eskimos was high, with about 3–4 g/d reported, compared with 1-2 g/d used in intervention studies and the average consumption of 0.2 g/d by the American population. There was no association between current ɷ-3 FA consumption/blood concentrations and the presence of CHD. (Int J Circumpolar Health 2005; 64(4):387-395)

Dietary Intakes Vary with Age among Eskimo Adults of Northwest Alaska in the GOCADAN Study, 2000–20031-3

Dietary factors influence the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The diet of Alaskan Eskimos differs from that of other populations. We surveyed Eskimo adults in Northwest Alaska to document their usual dietary intakes, differences based on gender and age, and sources of selected nutrients, and to generate appropriate dietary advice to reduce CVD. Interviewers surveyed 850 men and women 17-92 y old, using a quantitative food-frequency instrument. We observed many significant (chi(2) analysis P < 0.05) differences in nutrient intakes among 3 age-groups. Energy intake from carbohydrate was negatively related to participant age-group (P < or = 0.01). Energy intake from all fats (P < 0.001) and polyunsaturated fat (P < or = 0.01) was positively related to age-group among both men and women in contrast to other studies in which age differences were either not observed or decreased with age. Native foods were major sources of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, including 56% of (n-3) fatty acids primarily from seal oil and salmon. However, Native foods contributed significantly less to the diets of young adults than to those of elders, especially among women. Store-bought foods were the main sources of energy, carbohydrate, fat, saturated fat, and fiber for all adults. Based on their nutrient density and potential to inhibit CVD, continued consumption of traditional foods is recommended. Variations in intake by age may portend changing eating patterns that will influence CVD as participants age. These data will contribute to understanding dietary risk factors for cardiovascular disease in this population.

ORAL HEALTH CARE AND PROFESSIONAL ABSTINENCE

In the May 2004 issue of the Journal, Lamster1 and Formicola et al.2 lament the sorry status of oral health and oral health care for major segments of our population, specifically, poor children, the elderly, the institutionalized, and the uninsured. They state the usual pious platitudes—the “shoulds” and the “oughts”—without recognizing the contributing deficiencies in dental education and training that are perpetuated by organized dentistry’s unflagging resistance to fundamental change. So long as filling a tooth and making a denture are considered doctoral-level activities, dentistry will not escape its persistent regressive character and will not be able to adequately serve the public need. More than 80 years ago, New Zealand began to use school dental nurses, highly trained dental technicians assigned to public elementary schools to provide basic preventive and restorative (filling) treatment. These dental nurses are supported by nurse supervisors and by public health and private dentists as needed. Also in New Zealand, and in other countries, dental prosthetists provide dentures much as orthopedic technicians construct artificial limbs. Periodic efforts by US state and federal public health agencies to implement programs employing dental nurses, now called dental therapists, have been squashed by the American Dental Association, despite the documented success of such programs in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and many developing countries.3 The Alaska Native Tribal Health Corsortium is currently initiating a dental therapist program for the Alaskan Eskimo population despite the opposition of the American Dental Association. The use of such sophisticated technicians in the United States would allow dentists to be trained as complete specialists in stomatology. Instead, dentistry is becoming more and more specialized, to the point of absurdity. Filling the root canal of a tooth (endodontics) and filling children’s teeth (pediatric dentistry) do not require specialized knowledge and techniques, thus qualifying as true specialties, but are merely “limited practices.” The result of the existing overspecialization is to restrict the supply of competent general practitioners, to restrict access, and to increase the cost of these services to the point where only the insured and the wealthy can readily afford them. It is a puzzle and a disgrace that the American Journal of Public Health could devote so much space to oral health care issues in this country without referring to the more obvious deficiencies and their resolution, or to the flagrant fraud and abuse in functionally unnecessary treatment and overcharging that is rampant in dentistry.4

Dietary intakes of Alaskan Eskimo adults of Northwest Alaska, 2000–2003: the gocadan (genetics of coronary artery disease in Alaska natives) study

Dietary intakes of Alaskan Eskimo adults of Northwest Alaska, 2000–2003: the gocadan (genetics of coronary artery disease in Alaska natives) study

Genetic History of Aleuts of the Commander Islands as Revealed by the Analysis of the HLA Class II Gene Variability

Variability of the HLA class II genes (alleles of the DRB1, DQA1, and DQB1 loci) was investigated in a sample of Aleuts of the Commanders (n = 31), whose ancestors inhabited the Commander Islands for many thousand years. Among 19 haplotypes revealed in the Aleuts of the Commanders, at most eight were inherited from the native inhabitants of the Commander Islands. Five of these haplotypes (DRB1*0401-DQA1*0301-DQB1*0301, DRB1*1401-DQA1*0101-DQB1*0503, DRB1*0802-DQA1*0401-DQB1*0402, DRB1*1101-DQA1*0501-DQB1*0301, and DRB1*1201-DQA1*0501-DQB1*0301) were typical of Beringian Mongoloids, i.e., Coastal Chukchi and Koryaks, as well as Siberian and Alaskan Eskimos. Genetic contribution of the immigrants to the genetic pool of the proper Aleuts constituted about 52%. Phylogenetic analysis based on Transberingian distribution of the DRB1 allele frequencies favored the hypothesis on the common origin of the Paleo-Aleuts, Paleo-Eskimos, and the Indians from the northwestern North America, whose direct ancestors survived in Beringian/southwestern Alaskan coastal refugia during the late Ice Age.

An unreduced dislocated mandible in an Alaskan Eskimo: a case of altruism or adaptation?

AbstractMandibular dislocations are rare in archaeological samples. This paper describes an unreduced dislocated mandible in an adult male skeleton from Point Hope, Alaska. The left mandibular condyle has been displaced anteriorly and two new articulations for the left coronoid process and remnant of the left condyle have formed. The left mandibular body and ramus exhibit severe atrophy, and all of the mandibular teeth have been lost antemortem. A review of historical accounts from the early contact period reveals that the Alaskan Eskimos suffered from a variety of disabilities of the musculoskeletal system. Despite these disabilities, however, many of these individuals were able to function with little or no assistance from other members of their group. The fact that this individual survived to an advanced age in the harsh arctic environment is a testament to the body's remarkable ability to compensate for and survive with physical disabilities. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Age, gender, biometry, refractive error, and the anterior chamber angle among Alaskan Eskimos

Background The prevalence of angle-closure glaucoma (ACG) is greater for Eskimos/Inuit than it is for any other ethnic group in the world. Although it has been suggested that this prevalence may be due to a population tendency toward shallower anterior chamber angles, available evidence for other populations such as Chinese with high rates of ACG has not consistently demonstrated such a tendency. Methods A reticule, slit-lamp, and standard Goldmann one-mirror goniolens were used to make measurements in the anterior chamber (AC) angle according to a previously reported protocol for biometric gonioscopy (BG) (Ophthalmology 1999;106:2161–7). Measurements were made in all four quadrants of one eye among 133 phakic Alaskan Eskimos aged 40 years and older. Automatic refraction, dilated examination of the anterior segment and optic nerve, and A-scan measurements of AC depth, lens thickness, and axial length were also carried out for all subjects. Results Both central and peripheral AC measurements for the Eskimo subjects were significantly lower than those previously reported by us for Chinese, blacks, and whites under the identical protocol. Eskimos also seemed to have somewhat more hyperopia. There were no differences in biometric measurements between men and women in this Eskimo population. Angle measurements by BG seemed to decline more rapidly over life among Eskimos and Chinese than blacks or whites. Although there was a significant apparent decrease in AC depth, increase in lens thickness, and increase in hyperopia with age among Eskimos, all of these trends seemed to reverse in the seventh decade and beyond. Conclusions Eskimos do seem to have shallower ACs than do other racial groups. Measurements of the AC angle seem to decline more rapidly over life among Eskimos than among blacks or whites, a phenomenon also observed by us among Chinese, another group with high ACG prevalence. This apparent more rapid decline may be due to a cohort effect with higher prevalence of myopia and resulting wider angles among younger Eskimos and Chinese.

Spondylolysis in Inuit skeletons from Arctic Canada

AbstractInuit skeletons from archaeological sites in Arctic Canada were examined for the presence of spondylolysis. The largest series represent the Thule culture and historic Inuit from northwest Hudson Bay and Labrador, and Sadlermiut from Southampton Island. The condition was found in 90 individuals, with a total of 120 affected vertebrae producing 198 hemi‐arch defect sites. As in other studies, L5 is affected most frequently, followed by L4 and L3, but examples of L1, L2, L6, and S1 involvement are represented. Incomplete separations account for 20% (40) of the 198 defects, and 5% (10) occur at sites other than interarticularis. Affected males outnumber females at a ratio of 2.4 to 1. The condition was found to increase in frequency from adolescence to young adulthood, and then decrease to middle adulthood and decrease again to old adulthood, but the drop in frequency with age in the adult categories is significant only at the .20 level. Where comparisons could be made, the data obtained from the Canadian Inuit closely resemble those obtained from Alaskan Eskimos and Aleuts, especially their closest linguistic relatives, Inupiat speakers in northern Alaska. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Type 1 diabetes-related autoantibodies are rare in Alaska native populations

Objectives. When clinical data were initially gathered from the Alaskan Eskimos in the 1950’s, diabetes mellitus was noted to be quite rare. The prevalence of diabetes has increased significantly since that time, with rates of 10% reported recently in some Alaska native populations. Our goal was to understand the pathogenesis of diabetes among these groups, with the hypothesis that Alaskan Eskimos were predominantly affected by type 2 diabetes, not by latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA).Study design. Population based case control studyMethods. We tested sera from subjects in two Eskimo villages for the presence of type 1 diabetes-related autoantibodies against glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD65Ab) and tyrosine phosphatase-like islet antigen-2 (IA-2Ab). Results. Among subjects from one Inupiat village (#1) and one SiberianYup’ik village (#2), there were 21 subjects with diabetes mellitus (DM), 17 with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and 226 healthy controls with normal glucose tolerance (NGT). In village 1, GAD65 antibodies were not present in either diabetic subjects or those with IGT. One of the healthy controls (1%;1/97) was positive for GAD65Ab. Similarly, no subjects from this village with DM or IGT had positive IA-2Ab titers, and one healthy control (1%;1/97) was positive for IA-2Ab. In village 2, no DM subject was GAD65Ab positive. One (10%;1/10) of the IGT subjects and two (1.6%;2/129) of the healthy controls were positive for GAD65Ab. In this village, two of the DM subjects (12%;2/17), one of the IGT subjects (10%;1/10), and one of the healthy controls (0.8%;1/129) were IA-2Ab positive. No individual was positive for both GAD65Ab and IA-2Ab. Conclusion. Alaskan Inupiat and Siberian Yup’ik Eskimos appear to be predominantly affected by type 2 diabetes, not LADA.

Type 1 diabetes-related autoantibodies are rare in Alaska native populations

When clinical data were initially gathered from the Alaskan Eskimos in the 1950's, diabetes mellitus was noted to be quite rare. The prevalence of diabetes has increased significantly since that time, with rates of 10% reported recently in some Alaska native populations. Our goal was to understand the pathogenesis of diabetes among these groups, with the hypothesis that Alaskan Eskimos were predominantly affected by type 2 diabetes, not by latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA). Population based case control study We tested sera from subjects in two Eskimo villages for the presence of type 1 diabetes-related autoantibodies against glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD65Ab) and tyrosine phosphatase-like islet antigen-2 (IA-2Ab). Among subjects from one Inupiat village (#1) and one SiberianYup'ik village (#2), there were 21 subjects with diabetes mellitus (DM), 17 with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and 226 healthy controls with normal glucose tolerance (NGT). In village 1, GAD65 antibodies were not present in either diabetic subjects or those with IGT. One of the healthy controls (1%; 1/97) was positive for GAD65Ab. Similarly, no subjects from this village with DM or IGT had positive IA-2Ab titers, and one healthy control (1%; 1/97) was positive for IA-2Ab. In village 2, no DM subject was GAD65Ab positive. One (10%; 1/10) of the IGT subjects and two (1.6%;2/129) of the healthy controls were positive for GAD65Ab. In this village, two of the DM subjects (12%;2/17), one of the IGT subjects (10%; 1/10), and one of the healthy controls (0.8%;1/129) were IA-2Ab positive. No individual was positive for both GAD65Ab and IA-2Ab. Alaskan Inupiat and Siberian Yup'ik Eskimos appear to be predominantly affected by type 2 diabetes, not LADA.

James W. Vanstone 1925-2001

James W. VanStone died suddenly of heart failure on February 28, 2001 at the age of 75.... VanStone was one of anthropology's foremost and most prolific northern scholars.... Although VanStone's master's work was on Plains archaeology, we are fortunate that he met fellow Penn graduate student J. Louis Giddings and began to look north. In 1950, Jim accompanied Giddings to Norton Sound, Alaska, where they tested archaeological sites between Golovnin Bay and Shaktoolik and carried out the third season's excavation at Cape Denbigh.... In 1951, VanStone inherited the position formerly held by Giddings at the University of Alaska. While in Fairbanks, he did archaeological surveys and excavations on Nunivak Island, the Copper River, and the Kenai Peninsula. With Wendell Oswalt, VanStone co-founded Anthropological Papers of the University of Alaska. During this period, Jim authored a number of papers. Perhaps the most significant was Russian Exploration in Interior Alaska, an Extract from the Journal of Andrei Glazunov ... one of the first modern uses of Russian-language sources in Alaskan anthropology. Also during this period, he spent a full year living in Point Hope, the result of which was Point Hope: an Eskimo Village in Transition ... which remains a seminal work on Alaskan Eskimo modernization. Jim left the University of Alaska in 1958 and spent a year bumming around Europe.... After his return to the United States, VanStone accepted a position at the University of Toronto, where he remained until 1966. While at Toronto, he initiated and carried out several significant projects, including ethnographic studies among the Chipewyan at Lutselk'e (formerly Snowdrift) and ethnohistorical and ethnoarchaeological studies in southwestern Alaska. VanStone and Wendell Oswalt's excavations at Crow Village on the Kuskokwim River pioneered the use of archaeology as a means to augment oral and written sources in constructing a historical ethnography of a Native people. The Crow Village work set the stage for much of VanStone's research between 1963 and 1979, which featured extensive use of archival sources, archaeology and ethnographic field studies in examining Alaska Native cultural change in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries.... In the midst of this research, Jim returned to Chicago, becoming Curator of North American Archaeology and Ethnology for the Field Museum of Natural History, a position he held until his retirement in 1993.... In the course of his career, VanStone authored, co-authored, or edited more than 140 articles, books, and monographs. ... A nearly complete list of his publications can be found in the Arctic Anthropology festschrift, No Boundaries: Papers in Honor of James W. VanStone (Pratt et al., 1998)....

Overweight and obesity among Alaskan Eskimos of the Bering Straits region: the Alaska Siberia Project

To document the height, weight, BMI and prevalence of obesity for Eskimo residents of four villages of the Bering Straits Region of Alaska. 454 Non-pregnant residents over 24 y of age, with at least one Eskimo grandparent participated in one cross sectional survey within each village. Height, weight, calculation of BMI (kg/m2), proportion of 'overweight' (BMI 25-29.9), and proportion of 'obese' (BMI>/=30). For women and men, respectively, mean heights were 153.4 and 165.2 cm; weights were 64.2 and 71.6 kg; and BMI were 27.2 and 26.2 kg/m2 after age standardization. For women, 27.9% were overweight, and 32.8% were obese compared with 36.2% and 15.6%, respectively, for men. Alaskan Eskimo participants of the Alaska Siberia Project had a significantly lower proportion of total overweight (BMI>/=25, 54.9% for women, and 32.0% for men) compared with the three sites of the Strong Heart Study, which ranged from 65.9 to 80.2% for women and 53.6 to 66.7% for men. Compared with American men of all races, the proportion of overweight and obese participants was similar for Eskimo men. The proportion of obese was significantly higher for Eskimo women compared with American women of all races, but the proportion of overweight was similar. Although the prevalence of obesity among the Alaskan Eskimos is lower than for American Indians, the high proportion of overweight observed in this study is of concern for Alaskan Eskimo adults, especially for women.