Diabetes Care, Vol 21, Issue 10 1652-1658, Copyright © 1998 by American Diabetes Association

ARTICLES

Birth weight, adult weight, and girth as predictors of the metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women: the Rancho Bernardo Study

DE Yarbrough, E Barrett-Connor, D Kritz-Silverstein and DL Wingard
Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0607, USA.

OBJECTIVE: Recent studies have demonstrated an association between low birth weight and chronic and metabolic disorders in adulthood such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. These disorders tend to cluster in a condition known as the metabolic syndrome (syndrome X). Only two studies have reported an association of birth weight to the metabolic syndrome. The present study is distinguished as the only study to focus on postmenopausal women. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Subjects were 303 community-dwelling, postmenopausal Caucasian women aged 50-84 years. Metabolic and anthropometric variables were measured at a clinic visit; birth weight was assessed by self-report on a mailed questionnaire. RESULTS: The metabolic syndrome, defined as the simultaneous presence of hypertension, dyslipidemia, and abnormal glucose tolerance, was present in 7.9% of these women. Compared with women in the highest birth weight tertile (8.1-13.0 lb, mean 9.4 lb), those in the lowest birth weight tertile (2.5-6.8 lb, mean 5.5 lb) exhibited an increased prevalence (12.0 vs. 4.3%, P < 0.05) and 2.41 times the risk (95% CI 1.06-5.51) of developing the metabolic syndrome. Women with a heavy birth weight had an increased risk of adult obesity. Nevertheless, women in the lowest birth weight tertile who became adults in the highest tertile of BMI (>25.2 kg/m2) or waist circumference (>80.7 cm) had the highest prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (approximately 30%). CONCLUSIONS: Low birth weight coupled with adult obesity is a strong determinant of the metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women.
CiteULike    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				P. H. Whincup, S. J. Kaye, C. G. Owen, R. Huxley, D. G. Cook, S. Anazawa, E. Barrett-Connor, S. K. Bhargava, B. E. Birgisdottir, S. Carlsson, et al. Birth Weight and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review JAMA, December 24, 2008; 300(24): 2886 - 2897. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. R de Rooij, R. C Painter, F. Holleman, P. M. Bossuyt, and T. J Roseboom The metabolic syndrome in adults prenatally exposed to the Dutch famine Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, October 1, 2007; 86(4): 1219 - 1224. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				X. Wang, Y. Cui, X. Tong, H. Ye, and S. Li Glucose and Lipid Metabolism in Small-for-Gestational-Age Infants at 72 Hours of Age J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., February 1, 2007; 92(2): 681 - 684. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J.-Y. Tian, Q. Cheng, X.-M. Song, G. Li, G.-X. Jiang, Y.-Y. Gu, and M. Luo Birth weight and risk of type 2 diabetes, abdominal obesity and hypertension among Chinese adults. Eur. J. Endocrinol., October 1, 2006; 155(4): 601 - 607. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. M.L. Skidmore, A. Cassidy, R. Swaminathan, M. Falchi, T. D. Spector, and A. J. MacGregor Intrauterine, Environmental, and Genetic Influences in the Relationship Between Birth Weight and Lipids in a Female Twin Cohort Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol., October 1, 2006; 26(10): 2373 - 2379. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Zandi-Nejad, V. A. Luyckx, and B. M. Brenner Adult Hypertension and Kidney Disease: The Role of Fetal Programming Hypertension, March 1, 2006; 47(3): 502 - 508. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Cagnacci, F. S. Pansini, A. Bacchi-Modena, N. Giulini, G. Mollica, D. De Aloysio, E. Vadora, A. Volpe, and for the Emilia-Romagna Operative Group for the Men Season of birth influences the timing of menopause Hum. Reprod., August 1, 2005; 20(8): 2190 - 2193. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. R. Basha, W. Wei, S. A. Bakheet, N. Benitez, H. K. Siddiqi, Y.-W. Ge, D. K. Lahiri, and N. H. Zawia The Fetal Basis of Amyloidogenesis: Exposure to Lead and Latent Overexpression of Amyloid Precursor Protein and {beta}-Amyloid in the Aging Brain J. Neurosci., January 26, 2005; 25(4): 823 - 829. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Huxley, C. G. Owen, P. H. Whincup, D. G. Cook, S. Colman, and R. Collins Birth Weight and Subsequent Cholesterol Levels: Exploration of the "Fetal Origins" Hypothesis JAMA, December 8, 2004; 292(22): 2755 - 2764. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. A. Lederman, S. R. Akabas, and B. J. Moore Editors' Overview of the Conference on Preventing Childhood Obesity Pediatrics, October 1, 2004; 114(4/S1): 1139 - 1145. [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. A. Lederman, S. R. Akabas, B. J. Moore, M. E. Bentley, B. Devaney, M. W. Gillman, M. S. Kramer, J. A. Mennella, A. Ness, and J. Wardle Summary of the Presentations at the Conference on Preventing Childhood Obesity, December 8, 2003 Pediatrics, October 1, 2004; 114(4/S1): 1146 - 1173. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. M.L. Skidmore, R. J. Hardy, D. J. Kuh, C. Langenberg, and M. E. J. Wadsworth Birth Weight and Lipids in a National Birth Cohort Study Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol., March 1, 2004; 24(3): 588 - 594. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				T. D. Pham, N. K. MacLennan, C. T. Chiu, G. S. Laksana, J. L. Hsu, and R. H. Lane Uteroplacental insufficiency increases apoptosis and alters p53 gene methylation in the full-term IUGR rat kidney Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, November 1, 2003; 285(5): R962 - R970. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Lauren, M.-R. Jarvelin, P. Elliott, U. Sovio, A. Spellman, M. McCarthy, P. Emmett, I. Rogers, A.-L. Hartikainen, A. Pouta, et al. Relationship between birthweight and blood lipid concentrations in later life: evidence from the existing literature Int. J. Epidemiol., October 1, 2003; 32(5): 862 - 876. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I. P. Gray, P. A. Cooper, B. J. Cory, M. Toman, and N. J. Crowther The Intrauterine Environment Is a Strong Determinant of Glucose Tolerance during the Neonatal Period, Even in Prematurity J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., September 1, 2002; 87(9): 4252 - 4256. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. D. Stein, A. Conlisk, B. Torun, D. G. Schroeder, R. Grajeda, and R. Martorell Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Are Related to Adult Adiposity but Not Birth Weight in Young Guatemalan Adults J. Nutr., August 1, 2002; 132(8): 2208 - 2214. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C N. Hales and D. J P Barker The thrifty phenotype hypothesis: Type 2 diabetes Br. Med. Bull., November 1, 2001; 60(1): 5 - 20. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. D. Sesso, I-M. Lee, J. M. Gaziano, K. M. Rexrode, R. J. Glynn, and J. E. Buring Maternal and Paternal History of Myocardial Infarction and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Men and Women Circulation, July 24, 2001; 104(4): 393 - 398. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. H. Lane, D. E. Kelley, E. M. Gruetzmacher, and S. U. Devaskar Uteroplacental insufficiency alters hepatic fatty acid-metabolizing enzymes in juvenile and adult rats Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, January 1, 2001; 280(1): R183 - R190. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W. H Dietz Birth weight, socioeconomic class, and adult adiposity among African Americans Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, August 1, 2000; 72(2): 335 - 336. [Full Text] [PDF]

				Other Articles Noted Evid. Based Nurs., October 1, 1999; 2(4): 105 - 112. [Full Text]