Early Growth Patterns and Cardiac Structure and Function at Midlife: Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort Study.
OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the influence of early growth patterns that have previously been associated with later cardiometabolic risk on cardiac left ventricular (LV) structure and function in midlife.


STUDY DESIGN
A subpopulation of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 took part in follow-up, including echocardiography (n = 1155) at the age of 46 years. Body mass index (BMI) growth curves were modeled based on frequent anthropometric measurements in childhood. Age and BMI at adiposity peak (n = 482, mean age 9.0 months) and at adiposity rebound (n = 586, mean age 5.8 years) were determined. Results are reported as unstandardized beta (β) or OR with 95% CIs for 1 SD increase in early growth variable.


RESULTS
Earlier adiposity rebound was associated with increased LV mass index (β = -4.10 g/m2 (-6.9, -1.3); P = .004) and LV end-diastolic volume index (β = -2.36 mL/m2 (-3.9, -0.84); P = .002) as well as with eccentric LV hypertrophy (OR 0.54 [0.38, 0.77]; P = .001) in adulthood in males. BMI at adiposity rebound was directly associated with LV mass index (β = 2.33 g/m2 [0.80, 3.9]; P = .003). Higher BMI at both adiposity peak and at adiposity rebound were associated with greater LV end-diastolic volume index (β = 1.47 mL/m2; [0.51, 2.4], β = 1.28 mL/m2 [0.41, 2.2], respectively) and also with eccentric LV hypertrophy (OR 1.41 [1.10, 1.82], OR 1.53 [1.23, 1.91], respectively) and LV concentric remodeling (OR 1.38 [1.02, 1.87], OR 1.40 [1.06, 1.83], respectively) in adulthood (P < .05 for all). These relationships were only partly mediated by adult BMI.


CONCLUSIONS
Early growth patterns in infancy and childhood contribute to cardiac structure at midlife.
['Korpela|Nelli|N|', 'Kaikkonen|Kari|K|', 'Auvinen|Juha|J|', 'Tulppo|Mikko P|MP|', 'Junttila|Juhani|J|', 'Perkiömäki|Juha|J|', 'Järvelin|Marjo-Riitta|MR|', 'Huikuri|Heikki V|HV|', 'Kiviniemi|Antti M|AM|']
D050154:Adiposity D000293:Adolescent D000328:Adult D015992:Body Mass Index D002648:Child D002675:Child, Preschool D015331:Cohort Studies D003971:Diastole D004452:Echocardiography D005260:Female D005387:Finland D006352:Heart Ventricles D006801:Humans D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular D007223:Infant D007231:Infant, Newborn D008137:Longitudinal Studies D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D012737:Sex Factors D020257:Ventricular Remodeling D055815:Young Adult
body mass index adiposity rebound childhood growth left ventricular hypertrophy left ventricular mass left ventricular structure