Strong Heart Study
Health Effects of Metals in Native American Communities: A Longitudinal Multi-omics Study
Arsenic and uranium are major contaminants at Superfund sites, and exposure to these contaminants can partly explain the excess burden of cardiometabolic disease affecting Native American communities in the US. Project 3 will determine the effect of past and current metal exposures in cardiometabolic disease and their longitudinal epigenetic and metabolomic signatures. This study can then reveal molecular mechanisms for metal-induced health effects, identify susceptible populations, and inform risk assessment with direct benefits for the prevention and control of metal exposure and cardiometabolic disease affecting tribal communities in the US Northern Plains as well as other at-risk populations globally.