Ningjian Wang1, Xiaojin Wang2, Qin Li1, Bing Han1, Yi Chen1, Chunfang Zhu1, Yingchao Chen1, Dongping Lin1, Bingshun Wang2, Michael D Jensen3, Yingli Lu4. 1. Institute and Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. 2. Department of Biostatistics, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. 3. Endocrine Research Unit, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA. Electronic address: jensen@mayo.edu. 4. Institute and Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. Electronic address: luyingli2008@126.com.
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Epidemiologic studies have revealed that early-life conditions influence later risk of chronic diseases. We aimed to explore whether exposure to Chinese famine between 1959 and 1962 during fetal and childhood period was related with metabolic syndrome (MS) in adulthood. METHODS: 6445 subjects from SPECT-China study were divided into fetal-exposed (1959-1962), childhood-exposed (1949-1958), adolescence/young adult-exposed (1921-1948), non-exposed (1963-1974) and non-exposed (after 1975). MS was defined by the International Diabetes Federation criteria. RESULTS: The prevalences of MS in the non-exposed (1963-1974), fetal and childhood-exposed were 16.4%, 20.1% and 19.1% in men and 13.5%, 23.7% and 33.5% in women, respectively. After adjustment for age, compared with non-exposed (1963-1974), fetal and childhood-exposed women had significantly higher prevalences of MS (P < 0.05), but not in men. Famine exposure during the fetal period (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.05, 2.07) and childhood (OR 1.80, 95% CI 1.22, 2.67) was associated with higher risk of MS in women after adjusting for age (both P < 0.05). Further adjustments for age, smoking, rural/urban residence and economic status did not significantly attenuate this association. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to famine in early life had sex-specific association with MS. It also suggests the adverse effects of malnutrition might extend beyond the 'first 1000 days' and last 9 years.
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Epidemiologic studies have revealed that early-life conditions influence later risk of chronic diseases. We aimed to explore whether exposure to Chinese famine between 1959 and 1962 during fetal and childhood period was related with metabolic syndrome (MS) in adulthood. METHODS: 6445 subjects from SPECT-China study were divided into fetal-exposed (1959-1962), childhood-exposed (1949-1958), adolescence/young adult-exposed (1921-1948), non-exposed (1963-1974) and non-exposed (after 1975). MS was defined by the International Diabetes Federation criteria. RESULTS: The prevalences of MS in the non-exposed (1963-1974), fetal and childhood-exposed were 16.4%, 20.1% and 19.1% in men and 13.5%, 23.7% and 33.5% in women, respectively. After adjustment for age, compared with non-exposed (1963-1974), fetal and childhood-exposed women had significantly higher prevalences of MS (P < 0.05), but not in men. Famine exposure during the fetal period (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.05, 2.07) and childhood (OR 1.80, 95% CI 1.22, 2.67) was associated with higher risk of MS in women after adjusting for age (both P < 0.05). Further adjustments for age, smoking, rural/urban residence and economic status did not significantly attenuate this association. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to famine in early life had sex-specific association with MS. It also suggests the adverse effects of malnutrition might extend beyond the 'first 1000 days' and last 9 years.
Authors: Pacifique Mwene-Batu; Ghislain Bisimwa; Gaylord Ngaboyeka; Michèle Dramaix; Jean Macq; Michel P Hermans; Daniel Lemogoum; Philippe Donnen Journal: Am J Clin Nutr Date: 2021-07-01 Impact factor: 7.045