title: Early life factors in relation to cardiovascular risk and cardiovascular disease in old age in Bergen: a Norwegian retrospective cohort study based on the Hordaland Health Study (HUSK).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The fetal origins of adult disease hypothesis describes associations found for fetal or early-life exposures with cardiovascular risk and disease in adulthood. The extension or not of these associations into old age has received less attention. We investigated if maternal health and family circumstances were associated with cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in late life and discuss results in light of possible selection effects and measurement error.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective cohort study based on community survey. We examined 224 possible associations between anthropometric measures, maternal health information and family socioeconomic status at birth versus CVD and CVD-related risk factors 72-74 years later.
  
  
  METHODS
  Of 3341 participants in a community survey of people aged 72-74 years, we were able to trace birth records from a historical archive in a broadly representative subsample of 480.
  
  
  METHODS
  Bergen, Norway.
  
  
  METHODS
  Established cardiovascular risk factors and indicators of CVD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only 11 (4.9%) of these associations were found to be statistically significant, and no strong or consistent patterns in the associations between exposures and outcomes were found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was little evidence in this relatively elderly sample for an association between early life factors and CVD outcomes of clinical or public health relevance. Further research is required to confirm the extent to which a diminution of early life influences into old age, if genuine, can be accounted for by selective mortality, systematic bias or by dilution of effects due to competing risk factors.
authors: Department of Health Promotion and Development, Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen 5020, Norway ; Alcohol and Drug Research Western Norway, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger 4010, Norway ; Department of Public Mental Health, Division of Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Bergen 5018, Norway.
authors: Jens Christoffer
authors: JC
authors: Skogen
authors: Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK.
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Stewart
authors: Department of Health Promotion and Development, Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen 5020, Norway ; Department of Public Mental Health, Division of Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Bergen 5018, Norway.
authors: Marit
authors: M
authors: Knapstad
authors: Department of Health Promotion and Development, Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen 5020, Norway ; Department of Public Mental Health, Division of Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Bergen 5018, Norway.
authors: Simon
authors: S
authors: Overland
authors: Department of Public Mental Health, Division of Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Bergen 5018, Norway ; School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia.
authors: Arnstein
authors: A
authors: Mykletun
keywords: birthweight; cardiovascular disease; early life factors; fetal origins of adult disease; old age; public health