Relation between Birth Weight, Growth, and Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Adulthood

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Adverse conditions in the prenatal environment and in the first years of life are independently associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease. This paper aims to study the relation between birthweight, growth in the first year of life, and subclinical atherosclerosis in adults. METHODS 88 adults aged between 20 and 31 were submitted to sociodemographic qualities, anthropometric data, blood pressure measurements, metabolic profile, and evaluation of subclinical atherosclerosis. RESULTS Birthweight<2,500 grams (g) was negatively correlated with (a) increased waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), according to regression coefficient (RC) equal to -0.323, 95% CI [-0.571, -0.075] P<0.05; (b) diastolic blood pressure (RC=-4.744, 95% CI [-9.017, -0.470] P<0.05); (c) low HDL-cholesterol (RC=-0.272, 95% CI [-0.516, -0.029] P<0.05); (d) frequency of intima-media thickness (IMT) of left carotid>75th percentile (RC=-0.242, 95% CI [-0.476, -0.008] P<0.05). Birthweight>3,500 g was associated with (a) BMI>25.0 kg/m2, (RC=0.317, 95% CI [0.782, 0.557] P<0.05); (b) increased waist circumference (RC=0.284, 95% CI [0.054, 0.513] P<0.05); (c) elevated WHR (RC=0.280, 95% CI [0.054, 0.505] P<0.05); (d) minimum subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) (RC=4.354, 95% CI [0.821, 7.888] P<0.05); (e) maximum SAT (RC=7.095, 95% CI [0.608, 13.583] P<0.05); (f) right lobe of the liver side (RC=6.896, 95% CI [1.946, 11.847] P<0.001); (g) frequency's right lobe of the liver>75th percentile (RC=0.361, 95% CI [0.169, 0.552] P<0.001). Weight gain in the first year of life was inversely correlated with (a) mean IMT of left carotid (RC=-0.046, 95% CI [-0.086, -0.006] P<0.05; (b) frequency IMT of left carotid>75th percentile (RC=-0.253, 95% CI [-0.487, -0.018] P<0.05); (c) mean IMT (RC=-0.038, 95% CI [0.073, -0.002] P<0.05); (d) the frequency of the mean IMT>75th percentile (RC=-0.241, 95% CI [-0.442, -0.041] P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Adults birthweight<2,500 g and >3,500 g and with insufficient weight gain in the first year of life have showed different metabolic phenotypes, but all of them were related to subclinical atherosclerosis.