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Low-level inorganic arsenic exposure and neuropsychological functioning in American Indian elders.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Inorganic arsenic at high and prolonged doses is highly neurotoxic. Few studies have evaluated whether long-term, low-level arsenic exposure is associated with neuropsychological functioning in adults. OBJECTIVES:To investigate the association between long-term, low-level inorganic arsenic exposure and neuropsychological functioning among American Indians aged 64-95. METHODS:We assessed 928 participants in the Strong Heart Study by using data on arsenic species in urine samples collected at baseline (1989-1991) and results of standardized tests of global cognition, executive functioning, verbal learning and memory, fine motor functioning, and speed of mental processing administered during comprehensive follow-up evaluations in 2009-2013. We calculated the difference in neuropsychological functioning for a 10% increase in urinary arsenic with adjustment for sex, age, education, and study site. RESULTS:The sum of inorganic and methylated arsenic species (?As) in urine was associated with limited fine motor functioning and processing speed. A 10% increase in ?As was associated with a .10 (95% CI -.20, -.01) decrease on the Finger Tapping Test for the dominant hand and a .13 decrease (95% CI -.21, -.04) for the non-dominant hand. Similarly, a 10% increase in ?As was associated with a .15 (95% CI -.29, .00) decrease on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition Coding Subtest. ?As was not associated with other neuropsychological functions. CONCLUSIONS:Findings indicate an adverse association between increased urinary arsenic fine motor functioning and processing speed, but not with other neuropsychological functioning, among elderly American Indians.

SUBMITTER: Carroll CR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5485900 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Low-level inorganic arsenic exposure and neuropsychological functioning in American Indian elders.

Carroll Clint R CR Noonan Carolyn C Garroutte Eva M EM Navas-Acien Ana A Verney Steven P SP Buchwald Dedra D

Environmental research 20170512

<h4>Background</h4>Inorganic arsenic at high and prolonged doses is highly neurotoxic. Few studies have evaluated whether long-term, low-level arsenic exposure is associated with neuropsychological functioning in adults.<h4>Objectives</h4>To investigate the association between long-term, low-level inorganic arsenic exposure and neuropsychological functioning among American Indians aged 64-95.<h4>Methods</h4>We assessed 928 participants in the Strong Heart Study by using data on arsenic species i ...[more]

PMID: 28334644

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Project description:Rationale: Exposure to inorganic arsenic, through drinking naturally-contaminated water, is an established cause of lung cancer. Evidence on the impact of arsenic exposure on lung function, however, is less conclusive. The evidence available, mostly from populations exposed to water arsenic levels >100 ?g/L, suggests that arsenic exposure is associated with lower lung function. Prospective studies and studies examining low-to-moderate levels of water arsenic exposure (<50 ?g/L) the level relevant for U.S. populations, are very limited. Objectives: We evaluated the association between chronic low-to-moderate arsenic exposure with lung function and disease in an American Indian population. Methods: The Strong Heart Study is a multicenter prospective study of cardiovascular disease and its risk factors among American Indian adults. The present analysis, in 2,166 adults, used urinary arsenic measurements at baseline (1989–1991) and lung symptoms and function assessment by standardized spirometry at the second examination (1993–1995). We evaluated associations between arsenic exposure and airflow obstruction, defined as ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) to forced vital capacity (FVC) of less than 0.70, and restrictive pattern, defined as FEV1/FVC ratio greater than 0.70 and FVC less than 80% predicted; respiratory symptoms; and self-reported physician diagnosis of nonmalignant respiratory disease. Results: The prevalence of airflow obstruction between 1993 and 1995 was 21.4% (463/2,166); restrictive pattern was 14.5% (314/2,166). Median urinary arsenic concentrations were higher in participants with airflow obstruction (11.0 ?g/g creatinine) compared to those without obstruction (9.8 ?g/g creatinine), and higher in those with restrictive pattern (12.0 ?g/g) compared to those without restrictive pattern (9.4 ?g/g). The odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for obstructive and restrictive patterns comparing the 75th to 25th percentile of arsenic was 1.13 (0.96–1.32) and 1.27 (1.01–1.60), respectively, after adjustment for age, sex, education, study site, smoking status, smoking pack-year, estimated glomerular filtration rate, tuberculosis, and body mass index. Emphysema, cough 4–6 times a day, phlegm, and stopping for breath were also positively associated with arsenic. Conclusions: In this American Indian population, exposure to low-to-moderate levels of inorganic arsenic, as measured in urine, was positively associated with restrictive pattern as measured by spirometry, self-reported emphysema diagnosis, self-reported shortness of breath, and more frequent cough and phlegm among those with cough, independent of smoking status. These findings suggest that low-to-moderate arsenic exposure can contribute to nonmalignant lung disease, and may be associated with restrictive lung disease.

Project description:BackgroundAmerican Indian elders, aged 55 years and older, represent a neglected segment of the United States (U.S.) health care system. This group is more likely to be uninsured and to suffer from greater morbidities, poorer health outcomes and quality of life, and lower life expectancies compared to all other aging populations in the country. Despite the U.S. government's federal trust responsibility to meet American Indians' health-related needs through the Indian Health Service (IHS), elders are negatively affected by provider shortages, limited availability of health care services, and gaps in insurance. This qualitative study examines the perspectives of professional stakeholders involved in planning, delivery of, and advocating for services for this population to identify and analyze macro- and meso-level factors affecting access to and use of health care and insurance among American Indian elders at the micro level.MethodsBetween June 2016 and March 2017, we undertook in-depth qualitative interviews with 47 professional stakeholders in two states in the Southwest U.S., including health care providers, outreach workers, public-sector administrators, and tribal leaders. The interviews focused on perceptions of both policy- and practice-related factors that bear upon health care inequities impacting elders. We analyzed iteratively the interview transcripts, using both open and focused coding techniques, followed by a critical review of the findings by a Community Action Board comprising American Indian elders.ResultsFindings illuminated complex and multilevel contextual influences on health care inequities for elders, centering on (1) gaps in elder-oriented services; (2) benefits and limits of the Affordable Care Act (ACA); (2) invisibility of elders in national, state, and tribal policymaking; and (4) perceived threats to the IHS system and the federal trust responsibility.ConclusionsFindings point to recommendations to improve the prevention and treatment of illness among American Indian elders by meeting their unique health care and insurance needs. Policies and practices must target meso and macro levels of contextual influence. Although Medicaid expansion under the ACA enables providers of essential services to elders, including the IHS, to enhance care through increased reimbursements, future policy efforts must improve upon this funding situation and fulfill the federal trust responsibility.

Project description:Following an official request to EFSA from the European Commission, EFSA assessed the chronic dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic (iAs) in the European population. A total of 13,608 analytical results on iAs were considered in the current assessment (7,623 corresponding to drinking water and 5,985 to different types of food). Samples were collected across Europe between 2013 and 2018. The highest mean dietary exposure estimates at the lower bound (LB) were in toddlers (0.30 ?g/kg body weight (bw) per day), and in both infants and toddlers (0.61 ?g/kg bw per day) at the upper bound (UB). At the 95th percentile, the highest exposure estimates (LB-UB) were 0.58 and 1.20 ?g/kg bw per day in toddlers and infants, respectively. In general, UB estimates were two to three times higher than LB estimates. The mean dietary exposure estimates (LB) were overall below the range of benchmark dose lower confidence limit (BMDL 01) values of 0.3-8 ?g/kg bw per day established by the EFSA Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain in 2009. However, for the 95th percentile dietary exposure (LB), the maximum estimates for infants, toddlers and other children were within this range of BMDL 01 values. Across the different age classes, the main contributors to the dietary exposure to iAs (LB) were 'Rice', 'Rice-based products', 'Grains and grain-based products (no rice)' and 'Drinking water'. Different ad hoc exposure scenarios (e.g. consumption of rice-based formulae) showed dietary exposure estimates in average and for high consumers close to or within the range of BMDL 01 values. The main uncertainties associated with the dietary exposure estimations refer to the impact of using the substitution method to treat the left-censored data (LB-UB differences), to the lack of information (consumption and occurrence) on some iAs-containing ingredients in specific food groups, and to the effect of food preparation on the iAs levels. Recommendations were addressed to improve future dietary exposure assessments to iAs.

Dataset Information

Low-level inorganic arsenic exposure and neuropsychological functioning in American Indian elders.

Publications

Low-level inorganic arsenic exposure and neuropsychological functioning in American Indian elders.

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