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Association between size at birth, truncal fat and obesity in adult life and its contribution to blood pressure and coronary heart disease; study in a high birth weight population

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 58, pages 812–818 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between size at birth and obesity as well as truncal fat, and its contribution to cardiovascular risk in a high birth weight population.

Design: Cohort-study with retrospectively collected data on size at birth.

Setting: Reykjavik, Iceland.

Subjects: A total of 1874 men and 1833 women born in Reykjavik during 1914–1935.

Main outcome measures: Size at birth. Adult weight, height and skinfold thickness measurements, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fatal and nonfatal coronary heart disease (CHD).

Results: Birth weight was positively related to adult body mass index (BMI) in both genders (B=0.35±0.14 kg/m2, adj. R2 =0.015, P=0.012 and B=0.34±0.17 kg/m2, adj. R2 =0.055, P=0.043 in men and women, respectively). However, high birth weight was not a risk factor for adult obesity (BMI≥30 kg/m2). In the highest birth weight quartile, the odds ratio (95% CI) for being above the 90th percentile of truncal fat was 0.7 (0.6–1.0, P=0.021) for men and 0.4 (0.3–0.8, P=0.002) for women, compared with the lowest birth weight quartile. Truncal fat and BMI were positively related to blood pressure in both genders (P<0.05), but not to CHD. The regression coefficient for the inverse association between birth weight and blood pressure hardly changed when adding truncal fat to the model.

Conclusion: In this high birth weight population, high birth weight was related to higher BMI in adulthood without being a risk factor for adult obesity. The inverse association between birth weight and truncal fat in adulthood suggests a role for foetal development in determining adult fat distribution. The inverse relationship of birth weight to blood pressure seems not to be mediated through the same pathway as to truncal fat.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Orn Olafsson, statistician, Helgi Sigvaldason, statistician and Nikulas Sigfusson, MD, for their valuable help with data preparation and calculations, and the employees at the National Archives of Iceland and the Genetics Committee at the University of Iceland for their assistance in preparation of the project and data collection. This study was supported by a research grant to IT from The Icelandic Research Council, The Research Fund of the University of Iceland, and to IG from the Fund for Research Training and Graduate Education. The collection of adult data was supported by the Icelandic Heart Association. The material has not been published previously.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unit for Nutrition Research, Landspitali-University Hospital, Iceland

    I Gunnarsdottir, B E Birgisdottir & I Thorsdottir

  2. Department of Food Science, University of Iceland, Iceland

    I Gunnarsdottir, B E Birgisdottir & I Thorsdottir

  3. The Icelandic Heart Association, Iceland

    R Benediktsson

  4. Department of Medicine, Landspitali-University Hospital, Iceland

    R Benediktsson & V Gudnason

  5. Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Iceland

    R Benediktsson & V Gudnason

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  1. I Gunnarsdottir
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  2. B E Birgisdottir
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  3. R Benediktsson
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  4. V Gudnason
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  5. I Thorsdottir
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Guarantor: I Gunnarsdottir.

Contributors: All contributors participated in the project planning. IT was the project leader. IG worked on the calculation and statistical analysis and made the greatest contribution to this paper. All investigators contributed to the writing of the final paper.

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Correspondence to I Gunnarsdottir.

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Gunnarsdottir, I., Birgisdottir, B., Benediktsson, R. et al. Association between size at birth, truncal fat and obesity in adult life and its contribution to blood pressure and coronary heart disease; study in a high birth weight population. Eur J Clin Nutr 58, 812–818 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601881

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