Birth weight was longitudinally associated with cardiometabolic risk markers in mid-adulthood.
Birth weight (BW) is associated with risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease. The findings from studies examined the association of BW with metabolic markers of CV risk were inconsistent and controversial. We examined the association of BW with insulin resistance and blood lipids using repeated measures up to mid-adulthood.



Data from seven screenings of the Bogalusa Heart Study-a longitudinal study of cardiovascular risk factors in Bogalusa, LA-are analyzed using generalized estimation equations method. Participants with birth data and at least one measurement of study outcomes between 18 and 44 years (n = 2,034) were included.



BW is inversely associated with insulin resistance, triglycerides, and total cholesterol (P < .01 for all). For 1-kg decrease in BW, insulin resistance increased by 2.3 units, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.7-3.9; triglycerides by 8.7 mg per dL, 95% CI = 4.9-12.4, and total cholesterol by 5.4 mg per dL, 95% CI = 1.8-9.1. The association of body mass with adult blood lipids levels is weaker in persons with low versus normal BW.



The study provides strong evidence of an inverse relationship of BW with adulthood cardiometabolic risk profile. Persons born with low BW are maybe less responsive to preventive interventions aiming at weight reduction.
Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Environmental Health, University of Memphis School of Public Health, Memphis, TN. Electronic address: fmzayek@memphis.edu.
Fawaz
F
Mzayek
Cardiovascular Medicine Group, Diabetes and Nutritional Science Division, King's College, London, UK.
J Kennedy
JK
Cruickshank
Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Environmental Health, University of Memphis School of Public Health, Memphis, TN.
Doris
D
Amoah
Center of Cardiovascular Health, Department of Epidemiology, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA.
Sathanur
S
Srinivasan
Center of Cardiovascular Health, Department of Epidemiology, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA.
Wei
W
Chen
Center of Cardiovascular Health, Department of Epidemiology, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA; Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Section of Cardiology, LSU, New Orleans.
Gerald S
GS
Berenson
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001724:Birth Weight; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012737:Sex Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult
D014280:Triglycerides
Birth weight; Cardiovascular risk; Cholesterol; HOMA-IR; Insulin resistance; Lipids; Triglycerides
JAMA. 2004 Dec 8;292(22):2755-64
15585736
BMJ. 1993 Dec 11;307(6918):1524-7
8274921
Pediatrics. 2003 May;111(5 Pt 1):1081-9
12728092
Am J Clin Nutr. 1977 Apr;30(4):582-91
851088
J Hypertens. 1999 Jan;17(1):19-25
10100089
Hypertension. 2004 Dec;44(6):832-7
15492128
Int J Epidemiol. 2011 Jun;40(3):647-61
21324938
J Nutr. 2002 Aug;132(8):2208-14
12163664
Diabet Med. 2003 May;20(5):339-48
12752481
Am J Epidemiol. 2014 Mar 1;179(5):550-8
24355331
Diabetes Care. 2014 Sep;37(9):2572-8
25147255
J Epidemiol Community Health. 2009 Sep;63(9):729-33
19429574
Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Apr;77(4):960-6
12663298
Scand Cardiovasc J. 2000 Dec;34(6):584-8
11214012
Nutr Res Pract. 2010 Aug;4(4):311-6
20827347
Circulation. 2011 May 24;123(20):2292-333
21502576
Am J Epidemiol. 2009 May 15;169(10):1167-78
19357327
JAMA. 2008 Dec 24;300(24):2886-97
19109117
Circulation. 2005 Apr 19;111(15):1932-7
15837946
Diabetologia. 2000 Jan;43(1):54-60
10663216
J Intern Med. 2004 Sep;256(3):254-9
15324369
Diabetes. 1999 Dec;48(12):2422-9
10580432
Diabet Med. 2005 Jul;22(7):921-30
15975109
Am J Epidemiol. 2007 Aug 15;166(4):413-20
17525085
Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2004 Mar;24(3):588-94
14715646
J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2003 Mar-Apr;5(2):133-6
12671326
PLoS One. 2011;6(6):e20595
21655104
J Nutr. 2004 Jan;134(1):201-4
14704319
Endocr J. 2001 Feb;48(1):81-6
11403106
Diabetologia. 2015 Jun;58(6):1220-30
25567102
BMJ. 1995 Feb 18;310(6977):428-32
7873947
BMC Pediatr. 2012 Jul 07;12:94
22770114
Int J Epidemiol. 2003 Oct;32(5):862-76
14559765
J Epidemiol Community Health. 2004 Feb;58(2):120-5
14729890
Diabetes Care. 2003 Jan;26(1):187-92
12502679