scholarly journals Famine Exposure in Early Life and Risk of Metabolic Syndrome in Adulthood: Comparisons of Different Metabolic Syndrome Definitions

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Feng Ning ◽  
Jie Ren ◽  
Xin Song ◽  
Dong Zhang ◽  
Li Liu ◽  
...  

This study examined the association between famine exposure in early life and the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in adulthood during the 1959–1961 Chinese Famine. Two cross-sectional surveys involving randomly selected Chinese adults aged 35–74 years in the Qingdao area were conducted. A total of 9,588 individuals were grouped into four birth cohorts of unexposed (born between January 1, 1962, and December 31, 1975), fetal-exposed (born between January 1, 1959, and December 31, 1961), childhood-exposed (born between January 1, 1949, and December 31, 1958), and adolescence/adult-exposed cohorts (born between January 1, 1931, and December 31, 1948). We assessed the prevalence rate of MetS in relation to famine exposure according to three definitions of MetS by the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATP III), International Diabetes Federation (IDF), and China Diabetes Society (CDS). According to the CDS criterion, the prevalence rates of MetS were 17.8%, 25.7%, 31.1%, and 45.3% in the unexposed, fetal-, childhood-, and adolescence/adult-exposed cohorts, respectively (P<0.001). For the CDS criteria, compared with individuals without famine exposure, odds ratios (95% confidence interval) for MetS were 1.36 (1.02–1.81), 1.36 (1.06–1.75), and 1.60 (1.06–2.41) in women and 1.10 (0.79–1.53), 1.07 (0.79–1.42), and 1.21 (0.74–1.99) in men who were exposed in the fetal, childhood, and adolescence/adult periods, respectively, after adjustment for age, study cohorts, residential areas, education levels, income levels, current smoking, and current drinking. The same trend was observed in fetal and childhood exposure for the NCEP-ATP III and IDF definitions, except for a marginal effect in adolescence/adult exposure. Sensitivity analysis revealed that the odds ratios for MetS prevalence for the CDS definition were 1.37 (1.03–1.82), 1.40 (1.09–1.79), and 1.58 (1.04–2.40) among fetal, childhood, and adolescence/adult exposure in rural areas, respectively. The CDS definition is superior to the other definitions for determining the association between famine exposure and MetS with respect to early life. Famine exposure in early life is associated with an increased risk of MetS in later life, especially in women. Early-life malnutrition and later life overnutrition were critical in determining adulthood metabolic disorders.

2018 ◽  
Vol 72 (9) ◽  
pp. 790-795 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenghe Wang ◽  
Zhiyong Zou ◽  
Bin Dong ◽  
Jun Ma ◽  
Luke Arnold

BackgroundThe association between famine exposure in early life and risk of arthritis (combination of osteoarthritis and inflammatory arthritis) in adulthood is unclear. The aim of this study is to explore the association.MethodsA total of 4124 subjects were selected from the national data of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study in 2011–2012. Doctor-diagnosed arthritis was self-reported in participants’ questionnaire. Birthdates were used to categorise participants into famine-exposed and non-exposed groups. Logistic regression model was used to explore the association of famine exposure in early life with the risk of arthritis in adulthood.ResultsThe prevalence of arthritis in both infant-exposed and preschool-exposed groups was significantly higher than those in the non-exposed group (35.0% and 30.6% vs 27.3%; p<0.05). Compared with the non-exposed group, the infant-exposed group showed a significantly elevated risk of arthritis in adulthood after adjusting for confounding factors (OR=1.65; 95% CI 1.29 to 2.11; p<0.001). In the stratified analysis, we found that participants who lived in severely affected areas (OR=1.91; 95% CI 1.41 to 2.59; p<0.001), who are female (OR=2.21; 95% CI 1.57 to 3.11; p<0.001) and those with a body mass index ≥24.0 kg/m2 (OR=2.46; 95% CI 1.70 to 3.55; p<0.001) in the infant-exposed group had increased risk of arthritis in adulthood. Similar results were additionally observed when age-balanced control group was used.ConclusionGreat China Famine exposure in infancy may be associated with an elevated risk of arthritis in adulthood, particularly in women and participants with adiposity. These findings suggest nutrition intervention in infancy and weight control in later life may reduce the risk of arthritis in adulthood.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. e003161
Author(s):  
Kelsey Grey ◽  
Gerard Bryan Gonzales ◽  
Mubarek Abera ◽  
Natasha Lelijveld ◽  
Debbie Thompson ◽  
...  

IntroductionChild malnutrition (undernutrition) and adult non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are major global public health problems. While convincing evidence links prenatal malnutrition with increased risk of NCDs, less is known about the long-term sequelae of malnutrition in childhood. We therefore examined evidence of associations between postnatal malnutrition, encompassing documented severe childhood malnutrition in low/middle-income countries (LMICs) or famine exposure, and later-life cardiometabolic NCDs.MethodsOur peer-reviewed search strategy focused on ‘severe childhood malnutrition’, ‘LMICs’, ‘famine’, and ‘cardiometabolic NCDs’ to identify studies in Medline, Embase, Global Health, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) databases. We synthesised results narratively and assessed study quality with the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence checklist.ResultsWe identified 57 studies of cardiometabolic NCD outcomes in survivors of documented severe childhood malnutrition in LMICs (n=14) and historical famines (n=43). Exposure to severe malnutrition or famine in childhood was consistently associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (7/8 studies), hypertension (8/11), impaired glucose metabolism (15/24) and metabolic syndrome (6/6) in later life. Evidence for effects on lipid metabolism (6/11 null, 5/11 mixed findings), obesity (3/13 null, 5/13 increased risk, 5/13 decreased risk) and other outcomes was less consistent. Sex-specific differences were observed in some cohorts, with women consistently at higher risk of glucose metabolism disorders and metabolic syndrome.ConclusionSevere malnutrition or famine during childhood is associated with increased risk of cardiometabolic NCDs, suggesting that developmental plasticity extends beyond prenatal life. Severe malnutrition in childhood thus has serious implications not only for acute morbidity and mortality but also for survivors’ long-term health. Heterogeneity across studies, confounding by prenatal malnutrition, and age effects in famine studies preclude firm conclusions on causality. Research to improve understanding of mechanisms linking postnatal malnutrition and NCDs is needed to inform policy and programming to improve the lifelong health of severe malnutrition survivors.


Author(s):  
Anna S. Challa ◽  
Stefania E. Makariou ◽  
Ekaterini C. Siomou

AbstractAmong children and adolescents, metabolic syndrome (MetS) is more common than previously believed. Hence, any information on the relation between vitamin D insufficiency/deficiency and insulin resistance (IR) in this population with risk of developing MetS is of great importance. This review analyzes and evaluates the existing evidence from cross-sectional, observational, and retrospective studies concerning the effect of vitamin D insufficiency/deficiency on MetS as a whole or on its various components. Most data show that insufficient vitamin D status is associated with increased prevalence of MetS or its individual components, mainly blood pressure and IR, often independent of overall obesity or abdominal adiposity. The implications of these findings could be associated with increased risk for developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus in later life. The very few randomized control trials examining any possible beneficial effects of vitamin D supplementation are also included.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Yuhan Shao ◽  
Li Liu ◽  
Xiaojing Li ◽  
Jianping Sun ◽  
Xiaomei Huang

Abstract Purpose: We aimed to explore whether exposure to the Chinese famine in early life was associated with hyperuricemia in adulthood. Methods and Results: Two population-based cross-sectional surveys involving randomly selected Chinese adults aged 35–74 years were conducted in Qingdao, China in 2006 and 2009. 9055 subjects from the two surveys were grouped into four birth groups of fetal/infant exposed(born between 1959/1/1 and 1962/12/31), childhood exposed(born between 1950/1/1 and 1958/12/31), adolescence exposed(born between 1942/1/1 and 1949/12/31) and the unexposed(born before 1941 and after 1963). Multivariate logistic regression models were used to calculate the odd ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of hyperuricemia in different exposed groups. Overall, famine exposure in the fetal/infant period, childhood and adolescence was not associated with adulthood hyperuricemia (all P>0.05). In females, childhood exposed group(OR=1.59, 95%CI:1.25-2.02) and adolescence exposed group(OR=1.74, 95%CI:1.30-2.33) both had higher risks to have hyperuricemia in adult. However, this difference was not found in fetal/infant exposed group. In males, no significant relation was observed in any famine exposed group (all P>0.05). Conclusions: Exposure to famine in childhood and adolescence is associated with an increased risk of hyperuricemia for adulthood of females, but not in males. Adequate nutrition during early life appears to be beneficial to prevent hyperuricemia of adult females.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. e043956
Author(s):  
Guizuo Wang ◽  
Dong Han ◽  
Zhengdong Jiang ◽  
Manxiang Li ◽  
Shumei Yang ◽  
...  

ObjectiveEarly life bronchiolitis has been hypothesised to be associated with the subsequent risk of persistent wheezing or asthma. However, the link remains controversial. The objective of our study was to evaluate the association between bronchiolitis before 2 years of age and the late-onset wheezing/asthma.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.MethodsPubMed, Embase and Web of Science databases were systematically searched for studies published between 1955 and January 2020. Meanwhile, we also checked through the reference lists of relevant articles to see whether these references included reports of other studies that might be eligible for the review. Cohort and case–control studies assessing the association between early-life bronchiolitis and late-onset wheezing/asthma were included in this meta-analysis. Data were extracted by two independent reviewers. Results were pooled using a random-effects model or fixed-effects model according to the heterogeneity among studies.Results32 original articles with 292 844 participants, which met the criteria, were included in this meta-analysis. Bronchiolitis before 2 years of age was associated with an increased risk of subsequent wheezing/asthma (relative risk=2.46, 95% CI 2.14 to 2.82, p<0.001). After categorising studies into different groups based on age at the end of follow-up, geographical region and study quality, the association still remained significant.ConclusionsThe meta-analysis indicates an association between bronchiolitis before 2 years of age and the wheezing/asthma in later life. Well-designed and highly standardised prospective studies that better address bias due to potential confounding factors are needed to validate the risk identified in our meta-analysis.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42018089453.


Author(s):  
Reza Zare-Feyzabadi ◽  
Majid Mozaffari ◽  
Majid Ghayour-Mobarhan ◽  
Mohsen Valizadeh

Background: Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is defined by a clustering of metabolic abnormalities associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. There has been an increasing interest in the associations of genetic variants involved in diabetes and obesity in the FABP1 pathway. The relationship between the rs2241883 polymorphism of FABP1 and risk of MetS remains unclear. Objective: We aimed to examine the association between this genetic polymorphism and the presence of MetS and its constituent factors. Methods: A total of 942 participants were recruited as part of the Mashhad Stroke and Heart Atherosclerosis Disorders (MASHAD study) Cohort. Patients with MetS were identified using the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria (n=406) and those without MetS (n=536) were also recruited. DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples and used for genotyping of the FABP1 rs2241883T/C polymorphism using Tetra-Amplification Refractory Mutation System Polymerase Chain Reaction (Tetra-ARMS PCR). Genetic analysis was confirmed by gel electrophoresis and DNA sequencing. Results: Using both univariate and multivariate analyses after adjusting for age, sex and physical activity, carriers of C allele (CT/CC genotypes) in FABP1 variant were related to an increased risk of MetS, compared to non-carriers (OR: 1.38, 95%CI: 1.04,1.82, p=0.026). Conclusion: The present study shows that C allele in the FABP1 variant can be associated with an increased risk of MetS. The evaluation of these factors in a larger population may help further confirm these findings.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 513-519 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Bianco-Miotto ◽  
J. M. Craig ◽  
Y. P. Gasser ◽  
S. J. van Dijk ◽  
S. E. Ozanne

Developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) is the study of how the early life environment can impact the risk of chronic diseases from childhood to adulthood and the mechanisms involved. Epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation, histone modifications and non-coding RNAs are involved in mediating how early life environment impacts later health. This review is a summary of the Epigenetics and DOHaD workshop held at the 2016 DOHaD Society of Australia and New Zealand Conference. Our extensive knowledge of how the early life environment impacts later risk for chronic disease would not have been possible without animal models. In this review we highlight some animal model examples that demonstrate how an adverse early life exposure results in epigenetic and gene expression changes that may contribute to increased risk of chronic disease later in life. Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease are chronic diseases with an increasing incidence due to the increased number of children and adults that are obese. Epigenetic changes such as DNA methylation have been shown to be associated with metabolic health measures and potentially predict future metabolic health status. Although more difficult to elucidate in humans, recent studies suggest that DNA methylation may be one of the epigenetic mechanisms that mediates the effects of early life exposures on later life risk of obesity and obesity related diseases. Finally, we discuss the role of the microbiome and how it is a new player in developmental programming and mediating early life exposures on later risk of chronic disease.


Nutrition ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 53 ◽  
pp. 20-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caizheng Yu ◽  
Jing Wang ◽  
Fei Wang ◽  
Xu Han ◽  
Hua Hu ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 128-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrina Campisano ◽  
Anabela La Colla ◽  
Stella M. Echarte ◽  
Andrea N. Chisari

AbstractEarly-life nutrition plays a critical role in fetal growth and development. Food intake absence and excess are the two main types of energy malnutrition that predispose to the appearance of diseases in adulthood, according to the hypothesis of ‘developmental origins of health and disease’. Epidemiological data have shown an association between early-life malnutrition and the metabolic syndrome in later life. Evidence has also demonstrated that nutrition during this period of life can affect the development of the immune system through epigenetic mechanisms. Thus, epigenetics has an essential role in the complex interplay between environmental factors and genetics. Altogether, this leads to the inflammatory response that is commonly seen in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome. In conjunction, DNA methylation, covalent modification of histones and the expression of non-coding RNA are the epigenetic phenomena that affect inflammatory processes in the context of NAFLD. Here, we highlight current understanding of the mechanisms underlying developmental programming of NAFLD linked to epigenetic modulation of the immune system and environmental factors, such as malnutrition.


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