10.5061/DRYAD.2Z34TMPJK
Lea, Amanda
0000-0002-8827-2750
Princeton University
Cardio-metabolic biomarkers measured across a lifestyle gradient
Dryad
dataset
2020
2020-09-24T00:00:00Z
2020-09-24T00:00:00Z
en
87736 bytes
3
CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
The “mismatch” between evolved human physiology and Western lifestyles is
thought to explain the current epidemic of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in
industrialized societies. However, this hypothesis has been difficult to
test because few populations concurrently span ancestral and modern
lifestyles. To address this gap, we collected interview and biomarker data
from individuals of Turkana ancestry who practice subsistence-level,
nomadic pastoralism (the ancestral way of life for this group), as well as
individuals who no longer practice pastoralism and live in urban areas. We
found that Turkana who move to cities exhibit poor cardio-metabolic
health, partially because of a shift toward “Western diets” high in
refined carbohydrates. We also show that being born in an urban area
independently predicts adult health, such that life-long city dwellers
will experience the greatest CVD risk. By focusing on a unique and
dramatic lifestyle gradient, our work thus informs the timing, magnitude,
and evolutionary causes of CVD.
The data were collected and processed as described in Lea et al. 2020,
Science Advances.
Missing values are indicated by NA. The columns of the data file are as
follows: Individual ID - unique identifier for each sampled individual
Waist circumference - an average of 3 measurements, reported in cm
Systolic BP - reported in mm Hg Diastolic BP - reported in mm Hg Blood
glucose - measured from blood, reported in mg/dl Body fat - measured using
electrical impedence, reported as a percentage Total cholesterol -
measured from blood, reported in mg/dl HDL cholesterol - measured from
blood, reported in mg/dl Triglycerides - measured from blood, reported in
mg/dl LDL cholesterol - measured from blood, reported in mg/dl Sex - self
reported sex Age - self reported age BMI - reported in kg/m2 Lifestyle
category - a categorical variable defined as in Lea et al. 2020, Science
Advances