Low birth weight linked to heart disease

According to new research from Britain, being small at birth along with an excessive weight gain during adolescence and young adulthood are indicators for future heart disease risk.

The study by researchers from Imperial College London has revealed that low birth weight is linked to weight gain and possibly heart disease.

The discovery is the result of research which tracked 5,840 people from birth to the age of 31 in Finland.

The researchers found that small size at birth and excessive weight gain during adolescence and young adulthood may lead to low-grade inflammation which is associated with an increased risk of developing heart disease.

For the study Professor Paul Elliott and colleagues used a protein called C-reactive protein as a biomarker for general inflammation, which is used to help detect heart disease.

The researchers found after comparing birth weight of children involved in the Finland 1966 Birth Cohort study with their C-reactive protein levels at age 31, those who had lower birth weight have higher C-reactive protein levels but those who had higher birth weight had lower C-reactive protein levels.

Elliott, a Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health Medicine and head of the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at Imperial College, says low grade inflammation is important because it has been associated with future cardiovascular events in many population studies recently and may play a role in the development of cardiovascular disease.

The researchers conclude that small size at birth and excessive weight gain during adolescence and young adulthood may predispose to low-grade inflammation, which, in turn, is associated with increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

The study also emphasised the important role of a healthy lifestyle, from the foetal period, through childhood, adolescence and young adulthood, in preventing heart problems.

The study is published in the European Heart Journal.