Abstract
ObjectiveIndividuals with very low birth weight (VLBW; <1500 g) are known to be predisposed to both short final height and cardiometabolic disorders. However, associations between final height and cardiometabolic outcomes including glucose metabolism in VLBW individuals in young adulthood are not fully investigated.MethodsWe investigated glucose metabolism and other cardiometabolic outcomes such as lipid profiles, blood pressure, renal function, urinary albumin, and thyroid function in young adults with VLBW born between 1980 and 1990. Short stature was defined as a final height <10th percentile. Glucose intolerance [diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and impaired fasting glucose (IFG)] was determined using 75-g oral glucose tolerance tests. Associations between final height and cardiometabolic outcomes were examined using logistic or multiple linear regression.ResultsA total of 628 VLBW individuals were screened and 111 young adults with VLBW (19–30 years) participated in the study. Of the participants, 40 subjects (36%) had short stature with a final height <10th percentile. Eight subjects (7.2%) had glucose intolerance (1, diabetes; 6, IGT; 1, IFG). Short stature was correlated with glucose intolerance (odds ratio 11.1; 95% CI 1.92, 99.7; P = 0.006). Final height was inversely associated with the homeostatic model assessment (HOMA) of insulin resistance, HOMA-β, insulinogenic index, and total/LDL-cholesterol. The associations of final height with insulin sensitivity and lipid profiles remained after adjustment for target height and age at puberty onset.ConclusionsShorter final height was associated with less favorable metabolic profiles in young adults with VLBW, and may be partly mediated by reduced insulin sensitivity. These associations were independent of target height or age at puberty onset.
Highlights
Neonatal intensive care has markedly improved the survival rate of very low birth weight infants (VLBW; birth weight,1500 g) in recent decades [1,2]
We investigated the associations between final height and cardiometabolic outcomes using multiple linear regression (Table 2) with adjustment for sex, body weight, family history of diabetes, and Small for gestational age (SGA)/appropriate for gestational age (AGA)
We evaluated the associations between growth failure and cardiometabolic outcomes in cohort of 71 subjects using multiple linear regression (Table 4) with adjustment for sex, body weight, family history of diabetes, SGA/AGA, and age at puberty onset
Summary
Neonatal intensive care has markedly improved the survival rate of very low birth weight infants (VLBW; birth weight ,1500 g) in recent decades [1,2]. The first generation of VLBW infants who survived because of improvements in neonatal care are in their twenties or thirties. Regarding pathophysiological pathways linking low birth weight to cardiometabolic outcomes, it is proposed that fetal malnutrition in the gestational period, which prevents appropriate fetal growth in utero, establishes thrifty phenotype in premature babies. This phenotype is considered to predispose them to cardiometabolic disorders later in life [6]. The clinical factors affecting glucose metabolism in VLBW individuals are still unclear
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
