effects of long-term developmental patterns of body weight on levels of c-reactive protein and fibrinogen among North-American men and women: The Spokane heart Study

This study examined heterogeneity in body weight development by identifying distinct developmental trajectories of body weight. These trajectories were further investigated by relating them to markers of low-grade inflammation later in life. Data from approximately 400 healthy volunteers from the Spokane Heart Study were collected in two-year intervals and four waves of data were available for the current analyses. Body weight was measured by Body Mass Index (BMI) and low grade inflammation by high sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) and fibrinogen. Contemporary statistical techniques – latent class growth models – were used to analyze heterogeneity in body weight and linear regressions were run to analyze possible associations between trajectories of body weight and CRP/fibrinogen levels. Six trajectories of BMI were identified (three stable trajectories, two increasing trajectories and a decreasing trajectory), which differed significantly on CRPand fibrinogen levels, highlighting the importance of weight trajectories. The differences were only partly explained by variations in lifestyle habits. The Spokane Heart Study | 57