Improved predictions of methane gas emissions in tidal wetlands

An important study for quantifying emissions in these ecosystems in greenhouse gas inventories

Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona

An International study led by UAB researcher Ariane Arias-Ortiz, and published in Global Change Biology, has analysed methane gas fluxes in over a hundred tidal wetlands and marshes in the USA. The analysis has identified key environmental factors affecting methane emissions and has allowed a larger set of standardised data on greenhouse gas emissions in those ecosystems to be produced. These data can be used to account for greenhouse gases with greater precision and improve climate models.  

Tidal wetlands are extremely important environmentally, not only for the role of their ecosystems in conserving biodiversity, or the protection of erosion and promotions of fishing activity, but also because they contribute to the elimination of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and slow down the decomposition of organic material in soils which are humid and poor in oxygen.
However, these conditions also promote the release of methane, a greenhouse gas that is significantly more powerful than carbon dioxide and have more potential to trap heat in the atmosphere. The effect of methane emissions counteract the effect of carbon dioxide sequestration so determining and predicting methane gas emissions in tidal wetlands with precision is essential for assessing the climate implications of the restoration or degradation of these natural environments.
A study led by a Ariane Arias-Ortiz of the UAB Department of Physics, and member of the Marine and Environmental Biogeosciences research group of ICTA-UAB, has analysed the data for methane fluxes in 109 tidal wetlands in the USA, focussing on factors such as climate, vegetation and the chemical composition of water trapped in the sediment. This is the first time that a such a large set o data on these emissions, together with a broad range of environmental and biogeochemical parameters has been made available to the entire scientific community in a standardised manner.
The research has identified important spatial and temporal predictors in the methane emissions which have interactive effects among the environmental variables documented for the first time. It was observed that salinity is a dominant factor: the more saline wetlands emitted low levels of methane while more freshwater marshes presented variable emissions. In the freshwater marshes, the warmer ones emitted more methane while in wetlands situated above the flood plain (less flooded) emitted less.
The study also showed that seasonal variations in methane emissions in the same ecosystem depend to a large extent on temperature—the higher the temperature the greater the level of emission—and the fixation of plant carbon and photosynthesis. Unlike inland wetlands, the tidal marshes show significant variation in methane emission on a daily basis, influenced by plant activity which can improve root exudation during active photosynthesis, stimulating methane-producing microbes or facilitating their transport through cavities in the plant tissue. Additionally, in zones with significant tidal activity the  highest level emissions are produced as intermittent releases of stored gas after every low tide. Using data from the study we the models for predicting and facilitating the simulation of methane gas in tidal wetlands in a changing climate can be improved.
“Methane emissions have a great impact and their variability in tidal wetlands presents challenges when it comes to determining the proportion of greenhouse gases produced by these ecosystems. Predicting methane emissions is important for achieving environmental objectives and improving climate models” explains Ariane. “With this study we can offer data and methods for improving estimates of methane emissions in tidal wetlands and we can perfect national and global greenhouse gas inventories.”
In the last decade there has been growing interest in restoring coastal wetlands to mitigate climate change. The tidal marshes can sequestrate more carbon dioxide per soil surface unit than other ecosystems such as terrestrial forests. Ariane stresses that this means “the implications of the research are significant for improving the precision of methane emission predictions in tidal wetlands and making a careful evaluation of how the restoration of these ecosystems can help to mitigate climate change.”
The research offers practical directives for estimating whether methane emission in a specific marsh are, or could be in the future, significant enough to be included in the greenhouse gas inventories in projects aiming to mitigate emissions. The study facilitates “more refined estimates of methane fluxes in thee ecosystems than the global values provided by the IPCC” she explains. Understanding the mechanisms that produce the emission we have observed “is crucial for estimating the precision of methane emissions in future climate scenarios, especially because the tidal wetlands are faced with the growing pressures of human activity and the effects of climate change such as increasing sea levels and global warming”, she concludes.
The research, which is published today in Global Change Biology, was led by researcher from the UAB Department of Physics, Ariane Arias-Ortiz, and has include important contributions from Jaxine Wolfe of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) in synthesising and filing data, and the members of the Coastal Carbon Network's (CCN) Methane Working Group, made up of experts from different institutions. The data fieldworkers have also ben key for carrying out this work.

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Journal

Global Change Biology

DOI

10.1111/gcb.17462 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Methane Fluxes in Tidal Marshes of the Contiguous United States

Article Publication Date

5-Sep-2024

 

The competitive edge of Norway's hydrogen by 2030: Socio-environmental considerations

UiT The Arctic University of Norway

Can Norway be an important hydrogen exporter to the European Union (EU) by 2030? We explore three scenarios in which Norway's hydrogen export market may develop: A Business-as-usual, B Moderate Onshore, C Accelerated Offshore. Applying a sector-coupled energy system model, we examine the techno-economic viability, spatial and socio-economic considerations for blue and green hydrogen export in the form of ammonia by ship. Our results estimate the costs of low-carbon hydrogen to be 3.5–7.3€/kg hydrogen. While Norway may be cost-competitive in blue hydrogen exports to the EU, its sustainability is limited by the reliance on natural gas and the nascent infrastructure for carbon transport and storage. For green hydrogen exports, Norway may leverage its strong relations with the EU, but is less cost-competitive than countries like Chile and Morocco, which benefit from cheaper solar power. For all scenarios, significant land use is needed to generate enough renewable energy. Developing a green hydrogen-based export market requires policy support and strategic investments in technology, infrastructure and stakeholder engagement, ensuring a more equitable distribution of renewable installations across Norway and national security in the north. Using carbon capture and storage technologies and offshore wind to decarbonise the offshore platforms is a win-win solution that would leave more electricity for developing new industries and demonstrate the economic viability of these technologies. Finally, for Norway to become a key hydrogen exporter to the EU will require a balanced approach that emphasises public acceptance and careful land use management to avoid costly consequences.

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Journal

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy

DOI

10.1016/j.ijhydene.2024.08.377 

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

The competitive edge of Norway's hydrogen by 2030: Socio-environmental considerations

Article Publication Date

4-Oct-2024

COI Statement

The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Isabelle Viole reports financial support was provided by European Union (Horizon 2020). If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

 

Hit or miss: Collisions affect raptors on a global scale

Raptor Research Foundation

 

image: 

Crested Caracaras (Caracara cheriway) foraging on a vehicle-struck mammal along a road edge in southern Florida, USA. foraging on a vehicle-struck mammal along a road edge in southern Florida, USA.

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Credit: J. Dwyer

What do windows, vehicles, power lines, fences, communication towers, wind turbines, and airfields all have in common? They block the flight path of raptors — sometimes with fatal consequences. According to a new Conservation Letter published in the Journal of Raptor Research, collisions pose a conservation threat to raptors globally. While there is much to learn about population-level effects, it is clear from rehabilitation and veterinary records that collisions are a common issue for these winged top predators in rural, suburban, and urban settings. Solutions exist, but their efficacy relies on support and innovation across industries.

 

In their letter, “Raptor Collisions in Built Environments,” lead author Heather Bullock and coauthors call these obstacles built environments, and define them as “landscapes modified by humans, including structures and infrastructure systems.” Unfortunately, raptors are drawn to a number of these structures, either for perches, nesting sites, or hunting habitats. Incidents of collision have increased significantly for raptors since the 1900s, as human-driven development has bloomed at staggering scales and altered countless tracts of habitat that birds used to traverse without collision risk.

 

Bullock and her team conducted a literature review to provide a birds-eye-view of how collisions impact raptors, as well as offer potential solutions and directions for future research. In their letter, they identify vehicles, wind turbines, and windows, as consistently problematic obstacles. They also address structures that are confirmed to impact raptors but are far less studied, such as aircraft, powerlines, communication towers, and fences.  

 

However, not all built environments affect raptors the same way. Vehicle collisions are especially detrimental for owls due to temporary blinding by headlights. Soaring raptors like eagles and vultures, which rely on updrafts and thermals for efficient flight, are more susceptible to collision with wind turbines. Quick and agile songbird-hunting raptors, like Sharp-shinned Hawks (Accipiter striatus) and Eurasian Sparrowhawks (Accipiter nisus), are at higher risk for window collisions, especially given the widespread stewardship of backyard bird feeders, which are often stationed close to windows.

 

Proposed solutions for vehicle collisions include flight diverters, colored flags, management for less attractive habitats next to roadways, and hedging to redirect raptors away from dangerous zones. Wind farm site managers can build away from raptor hotspots, including migration corridors. For window collisions, bird-friendly products like decals can alert birds to the presence of glass, however, most of these methods have only been tested on songbirds, whose flight behaviors are markedly different from their predatory cousins. One of the key takeaways from this review is that more research is needed to formulate mitigation strategies that are tailored to raptors, and to better understand population-level effects of collision fatalities.

 

Data from rehabilitation centers and veterinary clinics confirm that collisions are responsible for a significant percentage of admitted cases, and those are just the raptors that are discovered prior to death. Those that perish from collisions are rarely reported. Bullock says she hopes this Conservation Letter will help expand public awareness about the scope of these deaths, and “serve as evidence of the need for policies to help protect raptors in increasingly human-dominated landscapes.”

 

She is currently helping lead a more extensive review of raptor rehabilitation admission records with the goal of quantifying the impact of human activities on raptors at a global scale and identifying existing trends across taxonomic groups, regions, and threat statuses. “Such a mammoth undertaking has yet to be done,” she says, “and we are excited about what this study will reveal and its potential impacts on raptor conservation worldwide.”

 

Protecting raptors from built environments requires a cooperative effort by the public, policymakers, industry leaders, and conservationists due to the widespread prevalence of human-made structures that put raptors at risk. This Conservation Letter can be used as a guide to what is known about raptor collisions, action steps to help prevent them, and which topics need further study. As top predators, raptors are key participants in ecosystem health around the world. Collisions are something that, collectively, we can reduce — and this will not only strengthen the environment but also allow an impressive group of birds to remain in the sky where they belong.

 

White-tailed Eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) transiting a wind farm in west-central Norway

Credit

T. Katzner

Barred Owl (Strix varia) impact smear on a window in Kansas, USA.

Credit

K. Anton

Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) likely killed by a vehicle collision but lying below a distribution power line, which can also cause collision mortality, in Wyoming, USA.

Credit

E. Fairbank

 

Paper

Heather E. Bullock, Connor T. Panter, and Tricia A. Miller (2024). Conservation Letter: Raptor Collisions in Built Environments. Journal of Raptor Research, 58(3), 1-11. DOI: 10.3356/jrr248

 

Notes to Editor:

1. The Journal of Raptor Research (JRR) is an international scientific journal dedicated entirely to the dissemination of information about birds of prey. Established in 1967, JRR has published peer-reviewed research on raptor ecology, behavior, life history, conservation, and techniques. JRR is available quarterly to members in electronic and paper format.

 

2. The Raptor Research Foundation (RRF) is the world’s largest professional society for raptor researchers and conservationists. Founded in 1966 as a non-profit organization, our primary goal is the accumulation and dissemination of scientific information about raptors. The Foundation organizes annual scientific conferences and provides competitive grants & awards for student researchers & conservationists. The Foundation also provides support & networking opportunities for students & early career raptor researchers.

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Journal

Journal of Raptor Research

DOI

10.3356/jrr248 

Method of Research

Literature review

Article Title

Conservation Letter: Raptor Collisions in Built Environments

 

How parents' support and emotional guidance shape homework success

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

New research from Hebrew University shows that how well parents understand their children and manage their own emotions greatly affects homework time. Parents who are good at understanding their kids are more supportive and help them become more independent and motivated to learn. On the other hand, parents who have trouble managing their emotions are more likely to act negatively, which can make it harder for children to stay engaged and do well in their learning.

Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have uncovered new insights into the mechanisms that contribute to parental ability to support their children academically. Led by Dr. Naama Gershy and PhD student Racheli Cohen from the School of Education, in collaboration with Prof. Maayan Davidov from the School of Social Work and Social Welfare, the study explored why so many parents struggle to support their children during homework.

The research shows that parents' emotional and cognitive processes can greatly influence their interactions with their children during homework time. By studying 101 Israeli parents and their elementary-aged children, the researchers identified factors that can either help or hinder the support parents provide at home.

Children usually spend about 1 to 2 hours a day on homework, but this varies with age and school demands. Many parents find it challenging to balance their own responsibilities while supporting their children academically, which can lead to stress and conflict. Improving this dynamic is crucial.

One key finding is the role of parental mentalization—the ability to perceive and interpret their children’s thoughts and feelings. Parents who are good at mentalization are more supportive and less controlling, creating a better homework environment that can boosts children’s independent learning and motivation. Conversely, parents who struggle with managing their emotions tend to express negative behaviors, like frustration or discouragement, which can make homework stressful and curtail their child’s engagement.

"Our research sheds light on how parents’ emotional and mental  processes impact their involvement in their children’s education," explained Dr. Gershy. "Understanding these factors can help develop strategies that improve parent-child interactions during homework, and hence increase parental ability to support and encourage their children’s learning ."

Practical applications of these findings could include parent training programs and educational strategies to improve parents’ awareness of their emotional states and mentalization skills, aiming to enhance parental support and foster better academic outcomes and relationship.

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Journal

Journal of Educational Psychology

DOI

10.1037/edu0000873 

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Why things can go wrong when parents try to help children with their homework: The role of parental emotion regulation and mentalization.

Article Publication Date

5-Sep-2024

 

Wellesley team's new research on anesthesia unlocks important clues about the nature of consciousness

Wellesley College

For decades, one of the most fundamental and vexing questions in neuroscience has been: what is the physical basis of consciousness in the brain? Most researchers favor classical models, based on classical physics, while a minority have argued that consciousness must be quantum in nature, and that its brain basis is a collective quantum vibration of “microtubule” proteins inside neurons.

New research by Wellesley College professor Mike Wiest and a group of Wellesley College undergraduate students has yielded important experimental results relevant to this debate, by examining how anesthesia affects the brain. Wiest and his research team found that when they gave rats a drug that binds to microtubules, it took the rats significantly longer to fall unconscious under an anesthetic gas. The research team’s microtubule-binding drug interfered with the anesthetic action, thus supporting the idea that the anesthetic acts on microtubules to cause unconsciousness.

“Since we don’t know of another (i.e,. classical) way that anesthetic binding to microtubules would generally reduce brain activity and cause unconsciousness,” Wiest says, “this finding supports the quantum model of consciousness.”

It’s hard to overstate the significance of the classical/quantum debate about consciousness, says Wiest, an associate professor of neuroscience at Wellesley. “When it becomes accepted that the mind is a quantum phenomenon, we will have entered a new era in our understanding of what we are,” he says. The new approach “would lead to improved understanding of how anesthesia works, and it would shape our thinking about a wide variety of related questions, such as whether coma patients or non-human animals are conscious, how mysterious drugs like lithium modulate conscious experience to stabilize mood, how diseases like Alzheimer’s or schizophrenia affect perception and memory, and so on.”

More broadly, a quantum understanding of consciousness “gives us a world picture in which we can be connected to the universe in a more natural and holistic way,” Wiest says. Wiest plans to pursue future research in this field, and hopes to explain and explore the quantum consciousness theory in a book for a general audience.

Wellesley students who co-authored the paper with Wiest are Sana Khan ’25, Yixiang Huang ’25, Derin Timucin ’27, Shantelle Bailey ’24, Sophia Lee ’23, Jessica Lopes ’26, Emeline Gaunce ’26, Jasmine Mosberger ’25, Michelle Zhan ’24, Bothina Abdelrahman ’26 and Xiran Zeng ’27. 

Published September 1 in eNeuro, the Wellesley study demonstrates that anesthesia works by binding to microtubules inside neurons, thus providing important evidence for a quantum theory of consciousness while reviving a focus on microtubules in anesthesia.

eNeuro is the Society for Neuroscience's open-access journal.

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Journal

eNeuro

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Microtubule-Stabilizer Epothilone B Delays Anesthetic-Induced Unconsciousness in Rats

 

Unlocking oceanic mysteries: satellites shed light on aerosol layer height

Journal of Remote Sensing

 

image: 

Flowchart of retrieving AOCH from OCI proxy datasets.

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Credit: Journal of Remote Sensing

A recent study reveals that NASA's PACE satellite, equipped with the Ocean Color Instrument (OCI), can accurately measure aerosol layer height (ALH) over ocean surfaces. This ability is critical for understanding how aerosols affect weather patterns and climate, enhancing atmospheric correction methods that are essential for satellite-based ocean color monitoring.

Aerosol layer height (ALH) is a key parameter for assessing aerosol impacts on weather, climate, and atmospheric correction. Accurate ALH retrieval improves the understanding of aerosol-cloud interactions and aids in surface air quality monitoring. However, conventional remote sensing techniques often struggle with ALH determination over oceans due to the complexities of aerosol vertical distribution and optical properties. These challenges necessitate the development of advanced instruments and methods capable of reliably measuring ALH, which are crucial for refining climate models and improving atmospheric corrections.

Conducted by researchers from the University of Maryland and the University of Iowa, the study (DOI: 10.34133/remotesensing.0167) was published in the Journal of Remote Sensing on July 23, 2024. It evaluates the capability of NASA's PACE satellite, launched in early 2024, to measure ALH using Ocean Color Instrument (OCI). The study focuses on analyzing OCI's sensitivity to the oxygen A and B bands, validating the findings with proxy data from TROPOMI.

The study employed OCI on NASA's PACE satellite to retrieve ALH using the oxygen A and B absorption bands. Researchers conducted radiative transfer simulations to assess these bands' sensitivity to vertical aerosol profiles, focusing on smoke and dust events. The 762.5 nm band in the oxygen A band and the 690 nm band in the oxygen B band were identified as the most sensitive to ALH changes, making them key channels for retrieval. Validation with TROPOMI proxy data showed strong alignment with CALIOP lidar measurements, with errors of 0.49 km for smoke and 0.31 km for dust, demonstrating that OCI can effectively retrieve ALH with precise uncertainty levels, enhancing aerosol monitoring over oceans.

“This research highlights OCI's potential to accurately measure aerosol layer heights, improving atmospheric correction and enhancing our understanding of aerosol behavior,” said Dr. Xiaoguang Xu, lead author of the study. “The oxygen absorption bands provide valuable data that can refine our approach to monitoring aerosol dynamics.”

Accurate retrieval of aerosol layer height from OCI observations can significantly benefit climate research, atmospheric corrections, and aerosol monitoring. The methods developed offer a solid basis for future aerosol retrieval algorithms, enhancing data quality for scientific research and environmental management.

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References

DOI

10.34133/remotesensing.0167

Original Source URL

https://doi.org/10.34133/remotesensing.0167

Funding information

The authors declare that financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This research was funded by the NASA Remote Sensing Theory program (Grant No. 80NSSC20K1747), the DSCOVR program (Grant No. 80NSSC22K0503), and the UMBC START and CIDER awards.

About Journal of Remote Sensing

The Journal of Remote Sensing, an online-only Open Access journal published in association with AIR-CAS, promotes the theory, science, and technology of remote sensing, as well as interdisciplinary research within earth and information science.

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Journal

Journal of Remote Sensing

DOI

10.34133/remotesensing.0167 

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Potential of NASA’s Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, and Ocean Ecosystem (PACE) Satellite Observations in the Oxygen Bands for Determining Aerosol Layer Height over Ocean

 

Pregnant women exposed to PFAS may be at risk for obesity, heart disease later in life

The Endocrine Society

WASHINGTON—Women with higher levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) during pregnancy may experience long-term weight gain and heart problems later in life, according to new research published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

PFAS are manmade chemicals found in food packaging, cookware, clothes, drinking water, personal care products and many other consumer goods. These endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can interfere with hormones and cause health issues such as obesity, infertility and cancer.

“Our study supports the idea that pregnancy may be a sensitive period of PFAS exposure as it may be associated with long-term weight gain and subsequent adverse cardiometabolic health outcomes in women,” said the study’s first author Jordan Burdeau, Ph.D., of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, Mass. “Our findings may improve understanding of the effects of PFAS on cardiometabolic health during pregnancy, which in turn may improve early prevention or detection of adverse cardiometabolic health outcomes in women.”

The researchers studied 547 pregnant women in their early 30s, comparing their PFAS levels during pregnancy with cardiometabolic health outcomes at age 50. They found women with higher levels of PFAS in their blood during early pregnancy weighed more and had more body fat at 50 years old than those with lower levels, potentially making them more susceptible to obesity and heart health problems later in life.

“It’s important to try to limit your PFAS exposure as it could reduce your risk of health issues later in life,” Burdeau said.

Other study authors include: Briana Stephenson, Jorge Chavarro, Emma Preston and Tamarra James-Todd of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Shruthi Mahalingaiah of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Mass.; Marie-France Hivert of Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute in Boston, Mass., and Massachusetts General Hospital; Emily Oken of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute; Antonia Calafat of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Ga.; Sheryl Rifas-Shiman of Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute; and Ami Zota of Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York, N.Y.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development funded the study.

The manuscript, “Early Pregnancy Plasma Per- and Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Maternal Midlife Adiposity," was published online, ahead print.

# # #

Endocrinologists are at the core of solving the most pressing health problems of our time, from diabetes and obesity to infertility, bone health, and hormone-related cancers. The Endocrine Society is the world’s oldest and largest organization of scientists devoted to hormone research and physicians who care for people with hormone-related conditions.

The Society has more than 18,000 members, including scientists, physicians, educators, nurses and students in 122 countries. To learn more about the Society and the field of endocrinology, visit our site at www.endocrine.org. Follow us on Twitter at @TheEndoSociety and @EndoMedia.

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Journal

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism

 

Study shows long-term effects of immigration on Chinese Americans’ cardiovascular health

Chinese American immigrants face a higher risk of cardiovascular disease depending on length of residence and location in the U.S.

University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences

A new UCLA-led study found that cardiovascular disease risk among Chinese American immigrants increases with length of residence and varies by location in the U.S. The study, which leveraged data from the MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis) cohort, sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), observed the heart health of 746 Chinese Americans in both Los Angeles and Chicago over a period of roughly 18 years. The study found that participants who resided in Chicago showed lower mortality levels from heart disease compared to those who lived in Los Angeles.

“This is the first long-term prospective study in nearly two decades to investigate the effects of immigration on the cardiovascular health among Chinese American immigrants, an often-underrepresented group in cardiovascular research,” said Dr. Xinjiang Cai, a cardiologist and physician-scientist at UCLA Health and lead author of the study, which was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

“We were especially surprised by the geographical differences in mortality rates among this population, and the spotlight this puts on inequalities in heart health care and outcomes that often stem from cultural and language barriers, health behaviors, unique environmental risk factors and social determinants of health.”

Additionally, Cai points to how state-specific characteristics like demographic data, variations in death rates and life expectancy might also contribute to the health of immigrants. “Addressing cardiovascular health disparities among Chinese Americans who have immigrated to the U.S, and Los Angeles in particular, is not just a matter of equity, but a critical step towards building healthier communities for all,” said Dr. E. Dale Abel, chair for the department of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

The study also found that the most commonly used markers to predict cardiovascular disease were not the markers that best predicted heart-related events among Chinese American immigrants. “The more commonly used markers for cardiovascular disease, such as high-sensitive troponin levels and left ventricular ejection fraction, were found to be less predictive in this population,” Cai said. Markers that showed to be predictive for this population include, N-terminal Pro-brain Natriuretic Peptide, left ventricular mass, and one’s coronary artery calcium score.

Cai notes the study has some limitations. For example, the Chinese participants in the MESA cohort, who have an average age of about 62 and are free of baseline heart disease, are likely healthier than the overall Chinese American population in the U.S. He says further research is needed to better understand the broader Chinese American population.

“When it comes to assessing the cardiovascular risk among Asian Americans, a one-size fits all approach doesn’t work. For this reason, studies that can phenotype risk and underlying mechanisms for specific groups within the Asian-American population are critical to solving disparities in cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality,” said Dr. Priscilla Hsue, chief of the division of cardiology at UCLA Health.

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Journal

Journal of the American Heart Association

DOI

10.1161/JAHA.124.037114 

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Cardiovascular Risks and Outcomes Among Chinese American Immigrants: Insights From the Multi‐Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Article Publication Date

5-Sep-2024