Birth weight and risk of cardiovascular disease in a cohort of women followed up since 1976.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the association between birth weight and non-fatal adult cardiovascular disease while controlling for potential confounders such as socioeconomic group and adult lifestyle.


METHODS
Retrospective self report of birth weight in an ongoing longitudinal cohort of nurses followed up by postal questionnaire every two years.


METHODS
Nurses' health study, a cohort of 121700 women followed up since 1976.


METHODS
Non-fatal cardiovascular disease, including myocardial infarction, coronary revascularisation, and stroke.


RESULTS
Among the 70297 women free of cardiovascular disease at baseline who reported birth weight in the 1992 questionnaire there were 1309 first cases of non-fatal cardiovascular disease. Increasing birth weight was associated with decreasing risk of non-fatal cardiovascular disease. There were 1216 first cases of non-fatal cardiovascular disease among women who were singletons and had been born full term; their relative risks adjusted for several cardiovascular risk factors were 1.49 (95% confidence interval 1.05 to 2.10) for birth weight < 2268 g (< 5 lb 0 oz); 1.25 (0.98 to 1.61) for birth weight 2268-2495 g (5 lb 0 oz to 5 lb 8 oz); 1.12 (0.98 to 1.27) for birth weight > 2495-3175 g (> 5 lb 8 oz to 7 lb 0 oz); 1.00 (referent) for birth weight > 3175-3856 g (> 7 lb 0 oz to 8 lb 8 oz); 0.96 (0.80 to 1.15) for birth weight > 3856-4536 g (> 8 lb 8 oz to 10 lb 0 oz); and 0.68 (0.46 to 1.00) for birth weight > 4536 g (> 10 lb 0 oz) (P value for trend = 0.0004). The inverse trend was apparent for both coronary heart disease and stroke.


CONCLUSIONS
These data provide strong evidence of an association between birth weight and adult coronary heart disease and stroke.
Rich-Edwards
J W
JW
Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. nhjre@gauss.bwh.harvard.edu
Stampfer
M J
MJ
Manson
J E
JE
Rosner
B
B
Hankinson
S E
SE
Colditz
G A
GA
Willett
W C
WC
Hennekens
C H
CH
D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008019:Life Style; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D009204:Myocardial Revascularization; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology