Birth weight and carotid artery intima-media thickness
Julia Dratva1, Carrie V Breton, Howard N Hodis
1Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland. Julia.Dratva@unibas.ch
Insights
Higher birth weight in children is linked to increased carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT), a marker of early atherosclerosis. Lower birth weight did not show a significant association with CIMT in this study.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric cardiology
- Vascular biology
- Public health
Background:
- Carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) is an early indicator of atherosclerosis.
- Understanding factors influencing childhood CIMT is crucial for predicting future cardiovascular health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between birth weight and CIMT in 11-year-old children.
- To determine if birth weight is a predictor of subclinical atherosclerosis in childhood.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from 670 children in the Southern California Children's Health Study.
- Measured CIMT via high-resolution ultrasound and analyzed birth registry data.
- Employed multivariate regression analyses, adjusting for various child, pregnancy, and parental factors.
Main Results:
- A nonlinear association was observed between birth weight and CIMT.
- Children in the highest birth weight quintile had significantly increased CIMT compared to the third quintile.
- No significant association was found between lower birth weight and CIMT.
Conclusions:
- Greater birth weight is associated with increased CIMT in 11-year-old children.
- Lower birth weight did not demonstrate a significant impact on childhood CIMT.
- Childhood CIMT may be a clinically important marker for future cardiovascular risk.
Objectives:
To determine the association between birth weight and carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT), a measure of atherogenesis, in a population of 11-year-old children.
Study Design:
CIMT measured by high-resolution ultrasound, and birth registry data were available for 670 children of the Southern California Children's Health Study. Multivariate regression analyses were performed to investigate the association between birth weight and CIMT, with adjustment for child's health status and lifestyle, pregnancy information, and parental health.
Results:
Mean CIMT was 0.57 mm (SD 0.04). We found a nonlinear association between birth weight and CIMT, with an increase in CIMT of 0.014 mm in the fifth (P value .01) compared with the third birth weight quintile. These associations were robust in subsample analyses in children considered normal-weight by gestational age or in term-born children. No significant association with CIMT was found for the lowest quintile.
Conclusions:
Greater birth weight was significantly associated with increased CIMT at age 11 years. No evidence for an impact of lower birth weight was found. The predictive value of childhood CIMT on future cardiovascular outcomes is largely unknown, but strong associations between childhood cardiovascular disease risk factors and adult vascular disease suggest that increased CIMT in childhood may be clinically important.
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