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Ten-year weight gain is not associated with multiple cardiometabolic measures in Alaska EARTH study participants
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Ten-year weight gain is not associated with multiple cardiometabolic measures in Alaska EARTH study participants

Sarah H Nash, Gretchen Day, Vanessa Y Hiratsuka, Julie Beans, Diana Redwood, Peter Holck, Barbara V Howard, Jason Umans and Kathryn R Koller
Nutrition, metabolism, and cardiovascular diseases, Vol.31(2), pp.403-410
02/08/2021
DOI: 10.1016/j.numecd.2020.09.022
PMCID: PMC7887000
PMID: 33127251

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Abstract

Alaska Native (AN) traditional lifestyle may be protective against chronic disease risk. Weight gain in adulthood has been linked to increases in chronic disease risk among other populations; yet, its impact among Alaska Native people has never been evaluated. We aimed to evaluate changes in obesity-related metrics over time, and determine associations of changes with cardiometabolic markers of chronic disease risk among AN people. Study participants enrolled in the southcentral Alaska Education and Research Towards Health Study in 2004–2006 were invited to participate in a follow-up study conducted 2015–2017. Of the original 1320 participants, 388 completed follow-up health assessments consisting of multiple health surveys, anthropometric measurements, and cardiometabolic measures including blood sugars, blood lipids, and blood pressure. Differences in measurements between visits were determined and associations of weight change with cardiometabolic measures evaluated. Body mass index increased by 3.7 kg/m2 among men and 4.8 kg/m2 among women. Hip circumference (1.1 cm, p < 0.01) and waist circumference (0.7 cm, p < 0.01) increased among women; only waist circumference increased among men (1.6 cm, p < 0.01). Among men, there were no associations of weight change with cardiometabolic measures. Among women, there was an inverse association between weight gain and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol only (0.17 mg/dL (CI: −3.1, −0.03), p = 0.02). While weight increase over a 10-year period was not associated with substantive changes in cardiometabolic measures among AN men, there was a decrease in high density lipid cholesterol associated with weight gain among AN women. •This is the first study to examine weight change over time among Alaska Native people.•Both males and females in this study gained weight over ten years of follow-up.•Weight gain was not associated with cardiometabolic measures in men.•Weight gain was inversely associated with HDL cholesterol in women.
Alaska native Chronic disease risk Cohort study Native American Obesity Weight change

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