Zhenghe Wang1, Zhiyong Zou1, Shuo Wang1, Zhongping Yang1, Jun Ma2. 1. Institute of Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China. 2. Institute of Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China. majunt@bjmu.edu.cn.
Abstract
BACKGROUND/ OBJECTIVES: To explore the association between famine exposure in early life and the risk of metabolic syndrome in the Chinese adults. SUBJECTS/ METHODS: A total of 2148 participants aged 50s were selected from a large national epidemiological survey in the China. The logistic regression models were used to analyze the association between famine exposure in early life and risk of metabolic syndrome in adulthood. RESULTS: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome among individuals in the preschool exposed group, infant exposed group, fetal exposed group, and the non-exposed group was 37.9, 43.5, 37.5, and 34.0%, respectively. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in the infant exposed group was significantly higher than the non-exposed group (43.5 vs. 34.0%, P = 0.006). Compared with the non-exposed group, individuals who exposed to the famine in infancy significantly increased the risk of metabolic syndrome (OR = 1.83; 95% CI: 1.24, 2.70) after adjusting for gender, smoking status, drinking status, physical activity, and the educational levels of participants and their parents. However, similar results were not observed in the fetal (OR = 1.25; 95% CI: 0.89, 1.74) or the preschool (OR = 1.30; 95% CI: 0.97, 1.75) exposed groups. CONCLUSIONS: The Great China famine exposure during infancy was linked with the elevated risk of metabolic syndrome in adults aged 50s, which provided further evidence for the developmental origins hypothesis.
BACKGROUND/ OBJECTIVES: To explore the association between famine exposure in early life and the risk of metabolic syndrome in the Chinese adults. SUBJECTS/ METHODS: A total of 2148 participants aged 50s were selected from a large national epidemiological survey in the China. The logistic regression models were used to analyze the association between famine exposure in early life and risk of metabolic syndrome in adulthood. RESULTS: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome among individuals in the preschool exposed group, infant exposed group, fetal exposed group, and the non-exposed group was 37.9, 43.5, 37.5, and 34.0%, respectively. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in the infant exposed group was significantly higher than the non-exposed group (43.5 vs. 34.0%, P = 0.006). Compared with the non-exposed group, individuals who exposed to the famine in infancy significantly increased the risk of metabolic syndrome (OR = 1.83; 95% CI: 1.24, 2.70) after adjusting for gender, smoking status, drinking status, physical activity, and the educational levels of participants and their parents. However, similar results were not observed in the fetal (OR = 1.25; 95% CI: 0.89, 1.74) or the preschool (OR = 1.30; 95% CI: 0.97, 1.75) exposed groups. CONCLUSIONS: The Great China famine exposure during infancy was linked with the elevated risk of metabolic syndrome in adults aged 50s, which provided further evidence for the developmental origins hypothesis.