title: Weight gain in infancy is associated with carotid extra-medial thickness in later childhood.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Early life is an important period for determining future risk of cardiovascular disease. Carotid extra-medial thickness is a novel noninvasive measure that estimates arterial adventitial thickness, information concerning vascular health not captured by assessment of arterial intima-media thickness alone. We sought to determine whether fetal growth and early postnatal growth are associated with carotid extra-medial thickness in 8 year old children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Carotid extra-medial thickness was assessed by high-resolution ultrasound in 379 non-diabetic children aged 8-years, with complete data for birth weight, gestational age, early postnatal weight gain and carotid extra-medial thickness.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Weight gain during infancy, from birth to 18 months of age, was significantly and positively associated with carotid EMT (11 μm per kg length-adjusted weight gain [95% CI 3, 18], P=0.007). This association was significantly stronger in boys than girls (Pheterogeneity=0.005). By contrast, there was no significant association between birth weight and carotid EMT (6 μm/kg birth weight [95% CI -12, 24], P=0.51).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Excessive weight gain during infancy is associated with increased carotid extra-medial thickness, indicating that the alterations to the vasculature associated with excessive early postnatal growth likely include arterial adventitial thickening.
authors: Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise and Eating Disorders, University of Sydney, Australia. Electronic address: michael.skilton@sydney.edu.au.
authors: Michael R
authors: MR
authors: Skilton
authors: Department of Cardiology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia.
authors: Tim R
authors: TR
authors: Sullivan
authors: The Heart Centre for Children, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Australia; Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Australia.
authors: Julian G
authors: JG
authors: Ayer
authors: Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Australia; Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Australia; Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Australia.
authors: Frances L
authors: FL
authors: Garden
authors: Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Australia.
authors: Jason A
authors: JA
authors: Harmer
authors: Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Australia; Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Australia; Menzies Centre for Health Policy, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors: Stephen R
authors: SR
authors: Leeder
authors: Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Australia.
authors: Brett G
authors: BG
authors: Toelle
authors: Atkins Center for Weight and Health, Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology and School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
authors: Karen
authors: K
authors: Webb
authors: Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Australia.
authors: Guy B
authors: GB
authors: Marks
authors: Department of Cardiology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia; Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Australia.
authors: David S
authors: DS
authors: Celermajer
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D002657:Child Development; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development; D005320:Fetal Macrosomia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D008297:Male; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009517:New South Wales; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D015430:Weight Gain
keywords: Adventitia; Childhood; Fetal growth; Imaging; Obesity; Risk factors