Early life factors and their relevance for markers of cardiometabolic risk in early adulthood

• Published in: Nutrition, metabolism, and cardiovascular diseases Vol. 31; no. 7; pp. 2109 - 2121
• Main Authors: Nyasordzi, Juliana, Conrad, Johanna, Goletzke, Janina, Ludwig-Walz, Helena, Herder, Christian, Roden, Michael, Wudy, Stefan A., Hua, Yifan, Remer, Thomas, Buyken, Anette E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 30.06.2021
• Subjects: Early pregnancy BMI; Fatty liver index; Gestational weight gain; Hepatic steatosis index; Insulin sensitivity; Pro-inflammatory score; Fatty liver index; Gestational weight gain; Early pregnancy BMI; Insulin sensitivity; Pro-inflammatory score; Hepatic steatosis index
• ISSN: 0939-4753; 1590-3729
• DOI: 10.1016/j.numecd.2021.03.024

Early life exposures could be pertinent risk factors of cardiometabolic diseases in adulthood. We assessed the prospective associations of early life factors with markers of cardiometabolic risk among healthy German adults. We examined 348 term-born DONALD Study participants with measurement of fasting blood at the age of 18–24 years to assess metabolic indices: fatty liver index (FLI), hepatic steatosis index (HSI), pro-inflammatory score and insulin sensitivity (HOMA2-%S). Early life factors (maternal weight in early pregnancy, maternal early pregnancy BMI, gestational weight gain (GWG), maternal age, birth weight and full breastfeeding (>17 weeks)) were assessed at enrolment of the offspring into the study. Multivariable linear regression models were used to analyze associations between early life factors and markers of cardiometabolic risk in early adulthood with adjustment for potential confounders. A higher early pregnancy BMI was related to notably higher levels of offspring FLI, HSI, pro-inflammatory score and a lower HOMA2-%S (all p < 0.0001). Similarly, a higher gestational weight gain was associated with a higher FLI (p = 0.044), HSI (p = 0.016), pro-inflammatory score (p = 0.032) and a lower HOMA2-%S among females (p = 0.034). Full breastfeeding was associated with a lower adult FLI (p = 0.037). A casual mediation analysis showed that these associations were mediated by offspring adult waist circumference (WC). This study suggests that early pregnancy BMI, gestational weight gain, and full breastfeeding are relevant for offspring markers of cardiometabolic risk which seems to be mediated by body composition in young adulthood. •Higher early pregnancy BMI is related to adverse offspring cardiometabolic risk.•Higher gestational weight gain links adversely to offspring cardiometabolic risk.•Long breastfeeding duration is linked to lower adult offspring fatty liver index.•All associations seem mediated by offspring body composition in young adulthood.