Ana Navas-Acien is a physician-epidemiologist with a specialty in Preventive Medicine and Public Health and with a long-term interest in the health consequences of widespread environmental exposures. Based on an epidemiologic approach, her research investigates chronic health effects of arsenic, selenium, lead, cadmium and other trace metals.

Given the paucity of epidemiologic data at low/moderate levels, the possible biological basis, and the controversy for current environmental standards, this challenging area of research is potentially relevant for public health. For exposures with large epidemiologic evidence of the adverse health effects, such as secondhand smoke, her interest is to conduct research in support of progressive policies to reduce involuntary exposure to environmental toxins.

Environmental epidemiology, cardiovascular epidemiology, epidemiologic methods, systematic reviews, biomarkers, arsenic, heavy metals, secondhand smoke

Advising, Mentoring & Teaching Recognition Award (AMTRA), 2008-2009

Phi Beta Kappa, 2005, Johns Hopkins University

Fulbright Scholar, 2002-2004, sponsored by Spain’s Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs

Robert Dyar Memorial Award Fund, 2001-2002, Department of Epidemiology, JHBSPH

METAL EXPOSURE AND CHRONIC DISEASES

Navas-Acien A, Silbergeld EK, Pastor-Barriuso R, Guallar E. Arsenic exposure and prevalence of type 2 diabetes in US adults: Updated findings from the National Health Nutrition and Examination Survey, 2003-2006. [abstract] Epidemiology 2009;20:816-820.

Navas-Acien A, Umans JG, Howard BV, Goessler W, Francesconi KA, Crainiceanu CM, Silbergeld EK, Guallar E. Urine arsenic concentrations and excretion patterns in American Indian communities over a 10-year period - The Strong Heart Study. [pdf] Environ Health Perspect. 2009;117:1428-1433.

Navas-Acien A, Tellez-Plaza M, Guallar E, Muntner P, Silbergeld EK, Jaar BG, Weaver VM. Blood cadmium and lead and chronic kidney disease in US adults: a joint analysis. [pdf] Am J Epidemiol 2009;170:1156-1164.

Navas-Acien A, Silbergeld EK, Pastor-Barriuso R, Guallar E. Arsenic exposure and prevalence of type 2 diabetes in US adults [pdf] JAMA 2008;300:814-822.

Navas-Acien A, Guallar E. Measuring arsenic exposure, metabolism and biological effect: the role of urine proteomics [pdf] Toxicological Sciences 2008;206:1-4.

Navas-Acien A, Schwartz BS, Rothenberg SJ, Hu H, Silbergeld EK, Guallar E. Bone lead levels and blood pressure endpoints: a meta-analysis [pdf] Epidemiology 2008;19:496-504.

Bleys J, Navas-Acien A, Guallar E. Serum selenium and all-cause, cancer, and cardiovascular mortality among US adults. Arch Intern Med 2008;168:404-410. [abstract] [pdf]

Tellez-Plaza M, Navas-Acien A, Crainiceanu CM, Guallar E. Cadmium exposure and hypertension in the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Environ Health Perspect 2008;116:51-56. [abstract] [pdf]

Navas-Acien A, Bleys J, Guallar E. Selenium intake and cardiovascular risk: what is new? Curr Opin Lipidol 2008;19:43-49. [abstract] [pdf]

Bleys J, Navas-Acien A, Guallar E. Selenium and diabetes: more bad news for supplements. Ann Intern Med 2007;147:271-2. [abstract] [pdf]

Bleys J, Navas-Acien A, Guallar E. Serum selenium and diabetes in US adults. Diabetes Care 2007;30:829-834. [abstract] [pdf]

Navas-Acien A, Guallar E, Silbergeld EK, Rothenberg SE. Lead exposure and cardiovascular disease – a systematic review. Environ Health Perspect 2007. [pdf]

Flores-Mateo G, Navas-Acien A, Pastor-Barriuso R, Guallar E. Selenium and coronary heart disease: a meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr 2006;84:762-73. [abstract] [pdf]

Navas-Acien A, Silbergeld EK, Streeter RA, Clark JM, Burke TA, and Guallar E. Arsenic exposure and type 2 diabetes: a systematic review of the experimental and epidemiological evidence. Environ Health Perspect 2006;114:641-648. [abstract] [pdf]

Guallar E, Silbergeld EK, Navas-Acien A, Malhotra S, Astor BC, Sharrett AR, Schwartz BS. Confounding of the relation between homocysteine and peripheral arterial disease by lead, cadmium, and renal function. Am J Epidemiol 2006;163:700-708 [abstract] [pdf]

Navas-Acien A, Sharrett AR, Silbergeld EK, Schwartz BS, Nachman KE, Burke TA, Guallar E. Arsenic exposure and cardiovascular disease: a systematic review of the epidemiological evidence. Am J Epidemiol 2005;162:1037-49. [abstract] [pdf]

Navas-Acien A, Silbergeld EK, Sharrett AR, Calderon-Aranda E, Selvin E, Guallar E. Metals in urine and peripheral arterial disease. Environ Health Perspect 2005; 113:164-169. [abstract] [pdf]

Navas-Acien A, Selvin E, Sharrett AR, Calderon-Aranda E, Silbergeld E, Guallar E. Lead, cadmium, smoking, and increased risk of peripheral arterial disease. Circulation 2004;109:3196-3201. [abstract] [pdf]

SECONDHAND TOBACCO SMOKE EXPOSURE

Jones MR, Navas-Acien A, Yuan J, Breysse PN. Secondhand smoke exposure in motor vehicles. Tobacco Control. [pdf] 2009;18:399-404.

Wipfli H, Avila-Tang E, Navas-Acien A, Kim S, Onicescu G, Yuan J, Breysse P, Samet JM and FAMRI home investigators. Secondhand smoke exposure among women and children: evidence from 31 countries. Am J Public Health Epub Feb 28.[abstract] [pdf]

Barnoya J, Mendoza-Montano C, Navas-Acien A. Secondhand smoke exposure in public places in Guatemala: comparison with other Latin American countries. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2007;16:2730-5. [abstract] [pdf]

Stillman F, Navas-Acien A, Ma J, Ma S, Avila-Tang E, Breysse P, Yang G, Samet J. Second-hand tobacco smoke in public places in urban and rural China. Tob Control 2007;16:229-34. [abstract] [pdf]

Barrientos-Gutierrez T, Valdes-Salgado R, Reynales-Shigematsu LM, Navas-Acien A, Lazcano-Ponce E. Involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke in public places in Mexico City. Salud Publica Mex. 2007;49 Suppl 2:S205-12. [abstract] [pdf]

Navas-Acien A, Peruga A, Breysse P, Zavaleta A, Blanco-Marquizo A, Pitarque R, Acuna M, Jimenez-Reyes K, Colombo VL, Gamarra G, Stillman F, Samet J. Secondhand tobacco smoke in public places in Latin America, 2002-2003. JAMA 2004;291:2741-5. [abstract] [pdf]

OTHER TOPICS

Nasir K, Guallar E, Navas-Acien A, Criqui M, Lima J. Relationship of monocyte count and peripheral arterial disease: results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2002. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2005;25(9):1966-71. [abstract] [pdf]

Navas-Acien A, Pollan M, Gustavsson P, Floderus B, Plato N, Dosemeci M. Interactive effect of chemical substances and occupational electromagnetic field exposure on the risk of gliomas and meningiomas in Swedish men. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2002;11:1678-83. [abstract] [pdf]

Navas-Acien A, Pollan M, Gustavsson P, Plato N. Occupation, exposure to chemicals and risk of gliomas and meningiomas in Sweden. Am J Ind Med 2002;42:214-27. [abstract] [pdf]

Martin-Hervas C, Romero J, Navas-Acien A, Reboiras JJ, Munuera L. Ultrasonographic and magnetic resonance images of rotator cuff lesions compared with arthroscopy or open surgery findings. J Shoulder Elbow Surg 2001;10:410-5. [abstract] [pdf]

Morado M, Ojeda E, Garcia-Bustos J, Aguado MJ, Arrieta R, Quevedo E, Navas A, Hernandez-Navarro F. BMT: Serum ferritin as risk factor for veno-occlusive disease of the liver. Prospective cohort study. Hematology. 2000;4:505-512. [abstract]