Cardio-metabolic biomarkers measured across a lifestyle gradient

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.