Early household cooking smoke and metals' effects on children's heart health

Early life household air pollution, metal composition and cardiovascular health: Evidence from GRAPHS

NIH-funded research Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai · NIH-11392931

This project looks at whether babies' and young children's exposure to cooking smoke and airborne metals affects their heart health up to age 12.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionIcahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (New York, United States)
Project IDNIH-11392931 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

From a parent's view, researchers are following children born in the GRAPHS pregnancy group in Ghana to see how exposure to household cooking smoke and the metals in that smoke relate to heart growth and function. They will combine air measurements, metal analyses, and standard child heart and body measurements collected over time. The team will use validated clinical tests and established lab methods to link early-life exposures (including during pregnancy and the first year) to heart-related outcomes through age 12. Results will help show which exposures matter most for children's cardiovascular development.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Children who were exposed to household cooking smoke early in life, especially those enrolled in the GRAPHS cohort in Ghana and followed up through age 12, are the ideal participants.

Not a fit: Adults, people not exposed to household cooking smoke, or those with heart conditions unrelated to air pollution are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this specific project.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to cost-effective ways to reduce household air pollution and protect children's long-term heart health.

How similar studies have performed: There is strong evidence linking air pollution to adult heart disease, but long-term childhood follow-up and the focus on metal components of household smoke represent a newer, less-tested approach.

Where this research is happening

New York, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-10 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.