Epidemiology Research
Prenatal arsenic exposure and health outcomes in Bangladesh Heading link
Arsenic is one of the most common naturally occurring contaminants found in the environment. An estimated 200 million people worldwide are exposed to arsenic concentrations in drinking water that exceed the recommended limit in WHO guidelines. The situation is perhaps the most devastating in Bangladesh, with more than 57 million people exposed to arsenic concentrations exceeding safe limits in their drinking water. Chronic exposure in adults leads to many adverse health outcomes, including cardiometabolic, respiratory, liver, kidney and neurodevelopmental diseases, as well as cancers.
There is growing evidence that arsenic exposure in utero and early childhood may profoundly influence disease later in life. Maria Argos, PhD, associate professor of epidemiology, earned an NIH award for a five-year study of prenatal and early life arsenic exposure in a cohort of 500 mother-child dyads in Bangladesh. Early results show that prenatal arsenic exposure is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Women who had experienced stillbirth were 2.5 times more likely to be exposed to elevated arsenic concentrations than those with live birth. The ongoing study, with collaboration of Bangladeshi researchers, will inform future arsenic prevention and remediation interventions targeted to pregnant women, women of child-bearing age and children.
Promoting HIV medication adherence Heading link
With a five-year, $3.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, Mark Dworkin, MD, professor of epidemiology, is studying the use of an avatar-based app to improve medication adherence among HIV-positive gay Black men in a recently completed pilot study. The app, called My Personal Health Guide, allows users to obtain information about HIV and provides support for medication adherence from their cell phones in private.
The app aims to support a population that generally has the lowest levels of retention in care and are less likely to achieve viral suppression, where levels of the HIV virus in the body reach undetectable levels.
Persistent organic pollutants, endogenous hormones and diabetes among Latinos Heading link
Diabetes currently affects 55.8 million people in the U.S., more than eight percent of the population. Prevalence among Latino and Hispanic populations is particularly high at 11.8 percent. Several studies have shown significant associations of diabetes with persistent organic pollutants, including organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls and brominated flame retardants. Use of chlorinated pesticides continued longer in Mexico and other selected Latin American countries, and levels are higher in Latinos and Hispanics in the US than in other ethnic groups.
Led by Victoria Persky, PhD, professor of epidemiology, this study is examining the relationships of exposures to a group of chemicals persistent in the environment with the development of diabetes, pre-diabetes and insulin resistance in a diverse Latino adult population. The study is investigating whether immune and endocrine factors previously associated with the diabetes and exposures modify and/or mediate their associations with the disease. Results will have public health importance not only in identifying factors key in the development of the disease but also in the development of effective and focused intervention strategies.
NIH study suggests male treatments for bacterial vaginosis Heading link
In Sub-Saharan Africa, estimates of women with bacterial vaginosis range from 20 to 50 percent. The infection puts women at higher risk for contracting sexually-transmitted infections and birth complications. Supriya Mehta, PhD, associate professor of epidemiology, found male penile bacteria predicts new cases of bacterial vaginosis in women who did not have the condition to begin with, up to six to 12 months in the future. The findings suggest reducing these bacteria from the penis may reduce cases or improve treatment outcomes in women.
Measuring environmental contaminants and endocrine disruption Heading link
Consumption of fish is a major source of exposure to environmental contaminants for the general population, including persistent organic pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), p,p’-diphenyldichloroethene (DDE), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), as well as metals such as methyl mercury (meHg). Exposure to these pollutants may cause dysregulation of endocrine function, affecting steroid and thyroid hormones as well as glucose and lipid metabolism.
Mary Turyk, PhD, professor of epidemiology, is leading a National Institutes of Health study to measure levels of PFAS and elements, including mercury and selenium, in banked blood samples from 490 participants in an ongoing longitudinal study of frequent and infrequent consumers of sport fish and evaluate their associations with endocrine function individually and as part of a chemical mixture. This investigation is expected to lead to a better understanding of the effects of pollutants on endocrine function and disease in adults, which will guide advice to consumers on the risks and benefits of fish consumption.