A long-term follow-up study on the relationship of social and lifestyle factors in childhood to cardiovascular risk factors in adulthood

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Lower birth weight has been repeatedly reported to be related to adverse cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality in adulthood. However, it has not been fully investigated whether social and lifestyle factors before and after birth affect this relationship. This is a 20-year follow-up study in 5,000 men and women to investigate the relationship of social and lifestyle factors at birth and in childhood to cardiovascular risk factors (blood pressure, serum cholesterol, and body mass index) at the age of 20.Information on social factors (age, education, and occupation of mother and father ; housing, etc.) and lifestyle factors (breast feeding, etc.) were obtained in babies who were born in 1965-1974. The information was linked to health examination data at the age of 20.Main results were : (1)A significant inverse relationship between birth weight and blood pressure at 20 years was attenuated by adjustment of education of father. (2)A significant inverse relationship between birth weight and serum cholesterol at 20 years in men did not change by adjustment of social factors. (3)In men, lower education of mother was related to higher blood pressure at 20 years. (4)In men, living with grand father and grand mother in childhood was related to higher blood pressure at 20 years. (5)In men, having mother aged 35 or over at birth and mother with higher education was related to lower cholesterol at 20 years. (6)Women who were grown up mainly by grand mother had higher cholesterol at 20 years.The results showed that the relationship between birth weight and cardiovascular risk factors in adult life was affected by some social factors at birth and in childhood, and that some social factors were independently related to cardiovascular risk factors in adulthood.