02
April
2009
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01:00
Europe/London
Low birth weight linked to heart disease and diabetes risk
Lower weight at birth may increase inflammatory processes – leading causes of chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes – in adulthood.
The study, to be published in The Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM), was carried out by researchers at The University of Manchester, Imperial College London and University of Oulu in Finland.
Both the fetal and infancy periods are sensitive, critical stages of growth and development and studies have previously suggested babies with lower weight at birth are at a higher risk for developing chronic diseases. But there has been little understanding to explain why – until now. This study suggests an association between lower weight at birth and inflammation in adulthood may provide that explanation.
Inflammation is a normal physiologic response of the body, and serves as a host defence, which provides protective response to infection or tissue injury. If the source of infection or injury is not repressed, low-grade inflammation can persist and may promote the development of heart disease or diabetes.
Earlier studies have found that babies born small for gestational age have weak immune systems, but at six years old have more white blood cells than babies born at a normal weight. White blood cells are cells of the immune system that defend the body against both infectious disease and foreign materials. These findings suggest that age might amplify the association between early growth and inflammatory processes.
In this current study, researchers followed 5,619 children born in 1966 and followed them until they reached adulthood. As compared to children with ‘normal’ weight in the first year of life, researchers observed that babies born relatively smaller and gained the least weight during infancy had a higher number of white blood cells, an indicator of inflammation, in adulthood.
“Our findings suggest that the link between poorer growth early in life and these adult chronic diseases may involve inflammation as a common underlying factor,” said Dr Dexter Canoy, in Manchester’s School of Community-based Medicine and lead researcher of the study.
“Ensuring appropriate growth during this narrow ‘window’ in early development may confer lifelong benefits to health.”
The article, ‘Weight at birth and infancy in relation to adult leukocyte count: a population-based study of 5,619 men and women followed from the fetal period to adulthood’, will appear in the June 2009 issue of JCEM.
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Notes for editors
Founded in 1916, The Endocrine Society is the world’s oldest, largest, and most active organization devoted to research on hormones, and the clinical practice of endocrinology. Today, The Endocrine Society’s membership consists of over 14,000 scientists, physicians, educators, nurses and students in more than 100 countries. Together, these members represent all basic, applied, and clinical interests in endocrinology. The Endocrine Society is based in Chevy Chase, Maryland. To learn more about the Society, and the field of endocrinology, visit our web site at www.endo-society.org
For further information contact:
Aeron Haworth
Media Officer
Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences
The University of Manchester
Tel: 0161 275 8383
Mob: 07717 881 563