Perinatal determinants of adult cardiovascular disease and cancer

Area of Science:

• Reproductive biology
• Developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD)
• Epigenetics

Background:

• Growing evidence links perinatal factors, particularly birthweight, to adult-onset diseases.
• Low birthweight is associated with cardiovascular disease risk; high birthweight with increased cancer risk.
• Existing hypotheses often cite physiological programming during fetal development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore genomic imprinting as a potential mechanism explaining the link between perinatal conditions and adult-onset diseases.
• To highlight the need for robust evidence to validate biological theories on the perinatal origins of adult disease.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on perinatal factors and adult-onset diseases.
• Discussion of genomic imprinting as a candidate mechanism.
• Emphasis on the need for assembling reliable evidence.

Main Results:

• Birthweight is a significant perinatal factor linked to distinct adult disease risks.
• Genomic imprinting, involving non-permanent DNA modifications, offers a biologically plausible programming mechanism.
• This epigenetic mechanism can influence health outcomes across multiple generations.

Conclusions:

• Perinatal factors, including birthweight, play a crucial role in determining adult health outcomes.
• Genomic imprinting presents a compelling avenue for understanding how early life exposures program long-term disease risk.
• Further research is essential to build a strong evidence base for these developmental origins of health and disease theories.