Chronic Exposure to Arsenic and Cardiometabolic Risk a Cross-Sectional Study in Chihuahua, Mexico

Background: Exposure to high concentrations of arsenic (As) in drinking water has been associated with increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD. Less is known about possible adverse effects of more moderate exposures, below 100µg/L. Few studies have examined whether moderate As exposure, or indicators of individual metabolism of As at these levels of exposure, are associated with early markers of cardiometabolic risk, which may provide insights on the role of arsenic in the development and progression of CVD. Methods: Data come from a cross-sectional study of 1165 adults in Chihuahua, Mexico recruited between 2008 and 2013 with measures of drinking water As and urinary As species. Lipid and glucose levels in fasting blood, an oral glucose tolerance test, and blood pressure measures were used to characterize cardiometabolic risk. Multivariable logistic and multinomial regression was used to assess associations between each outcome and water As or the sum of inorganic and methylated As spe...