Early life factors and type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a multifactorial disease, and its aetiology involves a complex interplay between genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors. In recent years, evidences from both human and animal experiments have correlated early life factors with programming diabetes risk in adult life. Fetal and neonatal period is crucial for organ development. Many maternal factors during pregnancy may increase the risk of diabetes of offsprings in later life, which include malnutrition, healthy (hyperglycemia and obesity), behavior (smoking, drinking, and junk food diet), hormone administration, and even stress. In neonates, catch-up growth, lactation, glucocorticoids administration, and stress have all been found to increase the risk of insulin resistance or T2DM. Unfavorable environments (socioeconomic situation and famine) or obesity also has long-term negative effects on children by causing increased susceptibility to T2DM in adults. We also address the potential mechanisms that may underlie the developmental programming of T2DM. Therefore, it might be possible to prevent or delay the risk for T2DM by improving pre- and/or postnatal factors.
Department of Ophthalmology, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Ziqiang Road 139, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050051, China.
Xinli
X
Jiang
Department of Physiology, Hebei Medical University, Zhongshan Road 361, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050017, China.
Huijie
H
Ma
Department of Endocrinology, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Ziqiang Road 139, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050051, China ; Orthopaedic Biomechanical Laboratory of Hebei Province, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Ziqiang Road 139, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050051, China.
Yan
Y
Wang
Department of Endocrinology, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Ziqiang Road 139, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050051, China.
Yan
Y
Liu
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors