Received: 24 May 2018 Revised: 9 July 2018 Accepted: 29 July 2018 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23175 American Journal of Human Biology ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE Brown adipose tissue, energy expenditure, and biomarkers of cardio-metabolic health among the Yakut (Sakha) of northeastern Siberia Stephanie B. Levy1,2 | Tatiana M. Klimova3 | Raisa N. Zakharova3 | Afanasiy I. Federov3 | Valentina I. Fedorova3 | Marina E. Baltakhinova3 | William R. Leonard4 1Department of Anthropology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut Abstract 2Department of Anthropology, CUNY Hunter Objectives: This study provides the first investigation of non-shivering thermogen- College, New York City, New York esis (NST) and brown adipose tissue (BAT) activity among an indigenous circum- 3North-Eastern Federal University named polar population, the Yakut of northeastern Siberia. The study also examines the M.K. Ammosov, Yakutsk, Russia health significance of BAT activity in this population by testing the relationships 4 Department of Anthropology, Northwestern between BAT thermogenesis and biomarkers of cardio-metabolic disease risk, such University, Evanston, Illinois as percent body fat and blood glucose and cholesterol levels. Correspondence Stephanie B. Levy, Department of Anthropology, Methods: Data were collected in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) for 31 men and Yale University, 10 Sachem St., New Haven, CT 43 women. Change in energy expenditure and BAT thermogenesis were quantified 06511. after a 30-minute mild cooling condition. Anthropometric dimensions, blood glu- Email:
[email protected] cose, and lipid levels were also collected. Funding information Northwestern University; Leakey Foundation; Results: On average, the skin temperature of the supraclavicular area was constant NSF, Grant/Award Number: BCS-1455804 after cooling while the skin temperature of a point on the sternum dropped signifi- cantly (P < .001), thus suggesting the presence of active supraclavicular BAT among Yakut adults.