Early growth influences risk of heart disease in later lifeApril 18, 2001A study in this week's BMJ reports a strong association between infant and childhood growth and the development of coronary heart disease in later life. These findings suggest that improvements in early growth could lead to substantial reductions in the incidence of the disease. The research team examined the infant and childhood growth of 357 men who were either admitted to hospital with coronary heart disease or who died of the disease. All belonged to a group of 4630 men, born in the Helsinki University Hospital during 1934-44, whose growth was measured serially from birth to age 12 years. They found that, irrespective of body size at birth, low weight gain in infancy was associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease. In addition, after age 1 year, rapid weight gain was associated with further increase in risk, but only among boys who were thin at birth. The adverse effects of this association is apparent at age 3 years in these boys, add the authors. Despite some inevitable limitations, these findings are consistent with other studies and add to the evidence that protection of early growth is a key area in strategies for the prevention of coronary heart disease. Further benefit will come from preventing rapid weight gain after infancy, in boys who were thin at birth, conclude the authors. | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Related Heart Disease News Articles Chemists move closer toward developing safer, fully-synthetic form of heparin Chemists are reporting a major advance toward developing a safer, fully-synthetic version of heparin, the widely used blood thinner now produced from pig intestines. The U. S. Food and Drug Administration last spring linked contaminated batches of the animal-based product, imported from China, to more than 80 deaths and hundreds of allergic reactions among patients exposed to the drug for kidney dialysis and other conditions. Air pollution damages more than lungs: Heart and blood vessels suffer too As athletes from around the world compete in the Beijing Olympics, many are on alert for respiratory problems caused by air pollution. They should also be concerned about its toxic effects on the heart and cardiovascular system, mounting research shows. Aspirin, acid blocker a-day keeps GI bleeding For patients with clogged heart arteries who take long-term, low-dose aspirin to prevent a cardiac event, adding a stomach acid-blocking drug to their daily routine has been shown to reduce their risk for upper gastrointestinal bleeding - an infrequent, but serious side-effect of regular aspirin use. Gladstone scientists identify single microRNA that controls blood vessel development Scientists from the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease (GICD) and UCSF have identified a key regulatory factor that controls development of the human vascular system, the extensive network of arteries, veins, and capillaries that allow blood to reach all tissues and organs. Losing weight soon after type 2 diabetes diagnosis doubles positive outcomes People who lose weight soon after a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes have better control of their blood pressure and blood sugar, and are more likely to maintain that control even if they regain their weight, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published online in Diabetes Care, the American Diabetes Association journal. Adults who eat eggs for breakfast lose 65 percent more weight A study published online today in the International Journal of Obesity shows that eating two eggs for breakfast, as part of a reduced-calorie diet, helps overweight adults lose more weight and feel more energetic than those who eat a bagel breakfast of equal calories. Lowering cholesterol early in life could save lives With heart disease maintaining top billing as the leading cause of death in the United States, a team of University of California, San Diego School of Medicine physician-researchers is proposing that aggressive intervention to lower cholesterol levels as early as childhood is the best approach available today to reducing the incidence of coronary heart disease. Long-term HIV treatment may reduce risk for atherosclerosis Antiretroviral drugs for HIV do not increase the risk for coronary atherosclerosis, a central risk factor for heart disease, according to a study led by the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health to be published in the Aug. 8 issue of the journal AIDS and available online today. Improved estrogen reception may sharpen fuzzy memory Estrogen treatments may sharpen mental performance in women with certain medical conditions, but University of Florida researchers suggest that recharging a naturally occurring estrogen receptor in the brain may also clear cognitive cobwebs. Fat around the heart may increase risk of heart attacks When it comes to risk for a heart attack, having excess fat around the heart may be worse than having a high body mass index or a thick waist, according to researchers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and colleagues reporting in the August issue of the journal Obesity. More Heart Disease News Articles |
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