title: Birth-weight and resting metabolic rate in adulthood - sex-specific differences.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Low birth-weight is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and the metabolic syndrome (MetS) in adulthood. Resting metabolic rate (RMR) has been suggested to be associated with the development of obesity as well as MetS and might be an indirect indicator of sympathetic activity. This study's aim was to examine the association between birth-weight and adult RMR.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 896 men and women from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study born 1934-44, for whom a detailed set of birth records were available, underwent measurement of body composition and RMR in adulthood.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among women, birth-weight adjusted for age and fat-free mass (FFM) was inversely associated with RMR (r = -0.12; P < 0.01). For men, a u-shaped relationship was observed, both independently and after adjustment for age, fat mass, and FFM (P = 0.05 for final model).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The sex-specific differences for the association between birth-weight and adult RMR might partly be explained by differences in the developmental programming of the sympathetic nervous system between men and women. The higher adjusted RMR among those with the lowest birth-weights is consistent with previous evidence of higher sympathetic drive among these individuals.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Health and Welfare, Department of Chronic Disease Prevention, Diabetes Prevention Unit, Helsinki, Finland. Samuel.Sandboge@thl.fi
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sandboge
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Moltchanova
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Blomstedt
authors.forename: Minna K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Salonen
authors.forename: Eero
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kajantie
authors.forename: Clive
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Osmond
authors.forename: David J P
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Barker
authors.forename: Johan G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Eriksson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001481:Basal Metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology*; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000196:embryology*