Interaction of birth weight and ethnicity with component of insulin resistance syndrome and pulse wave velocity
Description
Background. Birth weight (BW) has been found to be associated with cardiovascular (CV) mortality and morbidity, as well as with an adverse profile of many CV risk factors. One possible mechanism mediating the relationship between BW and adulthood risk of CV diseases is an increased arterial rigidity in persons with low BW Methods. Between 1973 and 2001, seven cross-sectional surveys of children 5--17 years and 7 cross-sectional surveys of young adults 18 to 44 were conducted in the Bogalusa Heart Study (BHS). Names of 2780 volunteers were included in the study. A subgroup (n = 835) for whom PWV measurements were available, were assessed for the relationship between BW and arterial rigidity. All clinical and laboratory measurements were obtained according to the established protocol of the BHS. Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity was measured using oscillometric instrument. Lifestyle, socio-economic and family history data were obtained using standard questionnaires. Birth data were obtained from subjects' birth certificates Results. Birth weight was inversely associated with serum triglycerides (p < 0.01), total cholesterol (p = 0.053), HOMA-IR (p < 0.01), systolic BP (p < 0.01), diastolic BP (p = 0.01) and PP (p < 0.01), but was not associated with LDL-C or HDL-C (p = 0.14 and p = 0.40 respectively). Birth weight was inversely associated with baPWV and PP, adjusting for age, gender, ethnicity and BMI (beta = -24.1; 95% CI = -46.5, -1.7 and beta = -0.9; 95% CI = -1.7, 0.0 for PWV and PP outcomes, respectively) The interaction of BW with ethnicity was not significant for any outcome. In persons born at term, the interaction was significant only for total cholesterol levels and the association was stronger in AA than in Whites beta = -11.5, p < 0.01 and beta = -1.2, p = 0.48 in AA and Whites, respectively) Conclusions. Birth weight was inversely associated with later blood pressure, plasma triglycerides and insulin resistance. The relationship between birth weight and CV risk factors development did not differ between African-Americans and Whites. Persons with lower birth weight tended to have stiffer arteries and the relationship between low birth weight and increased PP is stronger in whites than in African-Americans