Living with the past: evolution, development, and patterns of disease

Area of Science:

• Developmental biology
• Evolutionary biology
• Physiology

Background:

• Epidemiological observations suggest early life environmental factors influence adult chronic noncommunicable disease (NCD) risk.
• Genetic and adult lifestyle factors are known contributors to NCDs.
• Emerging evidence points to environmental influences during critical early developmental periods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the hypothesis that early life environmental exposures impact adult disease risk.
• To integrate findings from evolutionary biology, developmental biology, and physiology to support this concept.
• To highlight the potential biological, medical, and socioeconomic implications of the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD).

Main Methods:

• Review of epidemiological observations.
• Synthesis of research from evolutionary biology.
• Integration of findings from developmental biology and animal/human physiology.

Main Results:

• Support for the hypothesis that early life environment influences adult disease susceptibility.
• Identification of periconceptual, fetal, and infant phases as critical windows for environmental influence.
• The concept of developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) is supported by multiple scientific disciplines.

Conclusions:

• Early life environmental exposures are critical determinants of adult health.
• The DOHaD concept offers a new framework for understanding and preventing chronic diseases.
• Understanding these early influences has profound implications for public health and medicine.