EFFECTS OF PARENTAL GENERATION PRENATAL FAMINE EXPOSURE ARE OBSERVED IN THE DESCENDANTS OF BESIEGED LENINGRAD RESIDENTS

Abstract

Objective: The influence of famine at early development stages may contribute to the epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of phenotypic variability. The research aims to compare the prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors in the descendants of Leningrad Siege survivors and in control groups matched for age, sex and body mass index (BMI). Design and method: 83 descendants (children and grandchildren) of Leningrad Siege survivors (who were exposed to famine in early childhood during Second World War) were examined. The participants were questioned and anthropometry, blood pressure measurement, biochemical blood tests were performed. 83 controls matched for gender, age, and BMI were selected from epidemiological Russian study ESSE RF (random sample of Saint-Petersburg inhabitants) Results: are presented in Table 1. Table 1. Comparison of Leningrad Siege survivors’ descendants and control group. Conclusions: The transgenerational effect of ancestral famine contributes to a higher level of nonatherogenic cholesterol in the descendants of besieged Leningrad residents.