# Epidemiology of Obesity, Diabetes, and Hypertension in African Caribbeans

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · 2021 · $627,576

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Obesity is a very strong risk factor for type 2 diabetes (T2D) and hypertension, which disproportionately affect
African ancestry populations. The Caribbean region in particular is experiencing an enormous epidemic of
cardio-metabolic disease, with obesity, T2D, and hypertension being considerably higher in African Caribbeans
compared to Caribbeans of other race/ethnicities. Despite the current and projected growth in obesity, T2D and
hypertension among African Caribbeans, the mechanisms underlying racial/ethnic disparities in these
devastating and costly conditions remain largely unknown. T2D and hypertension are driven in part by obesity
and body fat distribution, especially fat around and within non-adipose tissue organs (known as ectopic
adiposity). Our recent discovery that ectopic skeletal muscle adiposity contributes to incident T2D and
hypertension in African Caribbean men supports the hypothesis that ectopic adiposity may be a key risk factor
contributing to increased risk of T2D and hypertension in African Caribbean populations. However, in contrast
to African Caribbean men, very little is known about the importance of body fat distribution and ectopic
adiposity for T2D, hypertension, and resultant cardiovascular disease in African Caribbean women. Our
preliminary data underscores the need to extend research to include African Caribbean women to unravel the
sex-specific and obesity-related mechanisms for T2D, hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD) and to
discover novel factors related to these major conditions in African ancestry populations. Over the past 20 years
we have been studying a unique population-based cohort of African Caribbean men from Tobago. We now
propose to expand our research on obesity, T2D, hypertension, and CVD among African Caribbean men to
include African Caribbean women in Tobago. We will collect data on lifestyle and medical factors,
anthropometrics, DXA and CT body composition measures, carotid ultrasound measures of subclinical
cardiovascular disease, and create a specimen biobank for future proposals using our existing infrastructure
and well-established procedures. In these newly recruited women, we propose to: 1) determine the overall, and
age- and BMI- specific prevalence of T2D and hypertension in African Caribbean women in Tobago, and
compare the prevalence with our existing data in men; 2) identify traditional and novel lifestyle, cultural,
behavioral, reproductive, nutritional, and medical-related risk factors for T2D and hypertension among African
Caribbean women, and 3) evaluate the association of body fat distribution and ectopic adiposity in African
Caribbean women with prevalent T2D and hypertension, and compare these associations with those
previously observed in African Caribbean men. In addition to accomplishing these aims, the collection and
archiving of vital specimens and measures (e.g., fecal samples for microbial distribution; DNA and RNA
extraction for omic...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10245074
- **Project number:** 5R01HL143793-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH
- **Principal Investigator:** IVA MILJKOVIC
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $627,576
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-08-01 → 2023-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10245074

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10245074, Epidemiology of Obesity, Diabetes, and Hypertension in African Caribbeans (5R01HL143793-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10245074. Licensed CC0.

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