title: Leg length is associated with lower values of inflammatory markers in older Chinese: The Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In developed western populations, longer legs are a biomarker of better childhood conditions and negatively associated with cardiovascular disease risk factors. These associations are less obvious in non-western settings. However, early life is also a key immune system development phase.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the associations of height, leg length, sitting height and leg length/sitting height ratio with inflammatory markers (white blood, lymphocyte and granulocyte cell counts and C-reactive protein (CRP)) in a developing population of southern China.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study used multivariable linear regression to examine the adjusted associations in 30,499 Chinese (50+ years).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Height z-score was associated with lower white blood, lymphocyte and granulocyte cell counts. Leg length z-score was associated with lower white blood, lymphocyte and granulocyte cell counts and CRP. Sitting height z-score was associated with lower white blood and granulocyte cell counts, but not with lymphocyte cell count or CRP. Leg length/sitting height ratio z-score was associated with lower white blood, lymphocyte and granulocyte cell counts and CRP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Factors enabling more early growth may also lead to changes in immunity that are associated with reduced CVD risk.
authors.affiliation: Lifestyle and Lifecourse Epidemiology Group, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong , SAR , PR China .
authors.forename: Yangbo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Chao Qiang
authors.initials: CQ
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Kar Keung
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Wei Sen
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Gabriel M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Tai Hing
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: C Mary
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Schooling
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000886:Anthropometry; D001827:Body Height; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000166:cytology; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D007866:Leg / Q000502:physiology*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D016014:Linear Models; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012727:Sex Characteristics
keywords: Child development; Chinese; inflammation