Low Birth Weight as an Early-Life Risk Factor for Adult Stroke Among Men

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Epidemiology
• Public Health
• Neurology

Background:

• Birth weight is a potential determinant of long-term health outcomes.
• Obesity, particularly in young adulthood, is a known risk factor for stroke.
• The independent association between birth weight and adult stroke risk, considering body mass index (BMI), requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the association between birth weight and the risk of adult stroke in men.
• To determine if this association is independent of body mass index (BMI) at young adult age.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 35,659 men born between 1945 and 1961 was studied.
• Data included birth weight, childhood BMI, and young adult BMI (age 20).
• Stroke events (ischemic stroke [IS] and intracerebral hemorrhage [ICH]) were identified through national Swedish registers.

Main Results:

• A significant inverse linear association was observed between birth weight and the risk of stroke (IS, ICH), independent of young adult BMI.
• This association persisted even when analyzing individuals within the normal birth weight range.
• Men with low birth weight and overweight at age 20 had an 81% increased stroke risk compared to normal birth weight/normal weight individuals.

Conclusions:

• Low birth weight is an independent risk factor for adult stroke, including IS and ICH.
• These findings suggest incorporating birth weight into adult stroke risk assessments.
• The interplay between birth weight and young adult BMI further modifies stroke risk.