Prenatal exposure to wartime stress: long-term effect on coronary heart disease in later life.
Background. Increased rates of coronary heart disease (CHD) and cerebrovascular disease in later life have been repeatedly observed in subjects with low birth-weight. One possible reason for low birth-weight is prenatal stress. Little is known about the influence of prenatal stress on lifelong health outcomes. Aims. In this study we investigate the influence of prenatal stress on CHD and cerebrovascular disease incidence in adult life. Methods. We analysed data originating from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study including hospital data from all men and women born between 1934 and 1944 (n = 13,039) in two hospitals of Helsinki. We estimated the hazard function based on Weibull distribution. We compared those exposed and unexposed to bombings while in utero in terms of lifelong CHD and cerebrovascular disease hazard. Results. In women exposed to bombings while in utero, we observed higher survival rates of both CHD and cerebrovascular disease than in those unexposed. In men, the results were ambiguous. Conclusions. Our findings suggest that prenatal exposure to severe stress may be associated with protective effects on the development of CHD in later life.
National Institute for Health and Welfare, Department of Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention , Helsinki , Finland. nadja.schreier@thl.fi
Nadja K
NK
Schreier
Elena V
EV
Moltchanova
Paul A
PA
Blomstedt
Eero
E
Kajantie
Johan G
JG
Eriksson
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012737:Sex Factors; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D015996:Survival Rate; D014857:Warfare