Perinatal exposure to maternal obesity: Lasting cardiometabolic impact on offspring

Area of Science:

• Reproductive biology
• Developmental biology
• Metabolic syndrome

Background:

• Maternal obesity and high-fat diet (HFD) consumption during critical developmental windows are linked to adverse cardiometabolic outcomes in offspring.
• These outcomes include increased risk for obesity, metabolic syndrome features (hypertension, hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, hyperlipidemia, adiposity), and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
• Fetal and offspring sex may act as a significant modifier of these effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize human and animal data on the impact of maternal obesity and HFD on offspring cardiometabolic health.
• To review the underlying mechanisms contributing to cardiometabolic morbidity in offspring exposed to maternal obesity.

Main Methods:

• This review synthesizes evidence from epidemiological, clinical, and animal model studies.
• It examines data linking maternal diet and obesity during pregnancy and lactation to offspring health outcomes.
• Key molecular and physiological mechanisms are explored.

Main Results:

• Maternal obesity and HFD are consistently associated with increased cardiometabolic risks in offspring.
• Specific adverse outcomes include obesity, metabolic syndrome, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
• Sex-specific effects and alterations in skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, pancreas, liver, and brain reward pathways are implicated.

Conclusions:

• Prenatal and lactational exposure to maternal obesity and HFD significantly contributes to offspring cardiometabolic morbidity.
• Understanding these programming mechanisms is crucial for developing targeted interventions.
• Further research into sex-specific effects is warranted to refine preventative strategies.