Abstract
BackgroundThere is lots of evidence that maternal peri-gestational metabolic, genomic and environmental conditions are closely linked to metabolic and cardiovascular outcomes in their offspring later in life. Moreover, there is also lotsof evidence that underlining mechanisms, such as molecular as well as epigenetic changes may alter the intrauterine environment leading to cardio-metabolic diseases in their offspring postnatal. But, there is also increasing evidence that cardio-metabolic diseases may be closely linked to their paternal metabolic risk factors, such as obesity, Type 2 Diabetes and other risk factors.ObjectiveTo analyse the evidence as well as specific risk factors of paternal trans-generational programming of cardio-metabolic diseases in their offspring.MethodsWithin a systematic scoping review, we performed a literature search in MEDLINE (PubMed) and EMBASE databases in August 2020 considering original research articles (2000–2020) that examined the impact of paternal programming on metabolic and cardiovascular offspring health. Epidemiological, clinical and experimental studies as well as human and animal model studies were included.ResultsFrom n = 3.199 citations, n = 66 eligible studies were included. We selected n = 45 epidemiological as well as clinical studies and n = 21 experimental studies. In brief, pre-conceptional paternal risk factors, such as obesity, own birth weight, high-fat and low-protein diet, undernutrition, diabetes mellitus, hyperglycaemia, advanced age, smoking as well as environmental chemical exposure affect clearly metabolic and cardiovascular health of their offspring later in life.ConclusionsThere is emerging evidence that paternal risk factors, such as paternal obesity, diabetes mellitus, nutritional habits, advanced age and exposure to environmental chemicals or cigarette smoke, are clearly associated with adverse effects in metabolic and cardiovascular health in their offspring. Compared to maternal programming, pre-conceptional paternal factors might also have also a substantial effect in the sense of trans-generational programming of their offspring and need further research.
Highlights
Evidence suggests that maternal metabolic, molecular genomic and environmental conditions might imprint metabolic and cardiovascular conditions in their offspring [1,2,3,4,5,6]
Hales and Barker’s “thrifty phenotype hypothesis” [7] is stating “that the epidemiological associations between poor fetal and infant growth and the subsequent development of type 2 diabetes mellitus and the metabolic syndrome result from the effects of poor nutrition in early life, which produces permanent changes in glucoseinsulin metabolism” [7]
The results showed that the association between anthropometrics of the mother and those of the offspring is stronger than between father and offspring
Summary
Evidence suggests that maternal metabolic, molecular genomic and environmental conditions might imprint metabolic and cardiovascular conditions in their offspring [1,2,3,4,5,6]. Pathophysiological changes in intrauterine environment might “program” and predict those developments in the offspring early on [5]. Whereas an altered fetal environment through maternal influences is very likely associated with the development of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases in later life, less is known about paternal factors influencing offspring health [8]. There is lots of evidence that maternal peri-gestational metabolic, genomic and environmental conditions are closely linked to metabolic and cardiovascular outcomes in their offspring later in life. There is lotsof evidence that underlining mechanisms, such as molecular as well as epigenetic changes may alter the intrauterine environment leading to cardio-metabolic diseases in their offspring postnatal. There is increasing evidence that cardio-metabolic diseases may be closely linked to their paternal metabolic risk factors, such as obesity, Type 2 Diabetes and other risk factors
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