Height In Adulthood Research Articles

Trends in women's height and the effect of early childbearing on height retardation: An analysis of the height of Bangladeshi women born between 1974 and 1998.

Depending on race, ethnicity, and region, genetic variants determine human height by 65% to 80%, while the remaining variance of 20% to 35% is influenced by nutrition and other individual or environmental exposures in the early years of life. An improvement in nutrition and health in the early years in a population underprivileged in health and nutrition will likely increase the group's average height. Due to outstanding improvements in these areas in recent decades, we hypothesised that the average height of Bangladeshi women has increased. Moreover, because pregnancy at an early age affects women's health and nutrition, we hypothesised that women who began childbearing early would experience growth retardation compared to women who had pregnancies at a later age. We used data from five national surveys conducted between 2004 and 2018 that collected height data from ever-married women aged 15-49 years. We analysed the height of women aged 20-29 years (born between 1974 and 1998) and examined the mean height by birth years, age at first birth (AFB), economic status, religion and region. We conducted multiple linear regression models, controlling for the differential effects of the socio-demographic characteristics on women's height over time and by AFB. The average height of women born between 1974 and 1998 significantly increased by 0.03 cm annually, with fluctuations between 150.3 and 151.6 cm. We also found an association between age at childbearing and height in adulthood - women who began childbearing before age 17 were approximately one centimetre shorter in adulthood than those who began childbearing at a later age. We found evidence of an increasing trend in women's height in Bangladesh and an inhibiting effect of early teenage childbearing on attaining the potential growth of women. The findings call for further studies to investigate early childbearing and its consequences on women's and their children's growth in diverse settings, considering socio-cultural customs influencing early marriage and childbearing.

Auxological and Metabolic Parameters of Children Undergoing the Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Stimulation Test: Correlations with the Final Diagnosis of Central Precocious Puberty in a Single-Center Study.

Background-Central precocious puberty (CPP) is characterized by clinical, biochemical, and radiological features similar to those of normal puberty, but CPP occurs before the age of eight in girls and before the age of nine in boys, subsequently leading to a reduction in the final body height in adulthood due to premature fusion of growth plates. The diagnosis of CPP is confirmed with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulation test, which can lead to different interpretations because the diagnostic peak levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) can vary. Patients and methods-This was a single-center, retrospective observational study investigating the possible correlation between gonadotropin peaks on the GnRH test and auxological, metabolic, and radiological parameters of patients evaluated for CPP. We collected and analyzed data from the medical records of children with suspected CPP over a period from January 2019 to July 2022 who underwent a GnRH test at the Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli in Rome, Italy. Results-Our correlation analysis revealed no statistically significant differences in any auxological and radiological parameters. Among laboratory parameters, baseline levels of LH, follicle-stimulating hormone, sex hormone-binding globulin, and 17-beta estradiol were higher in children with a definitive diagnosis of CPP than in those with a negative GnRH test. In particular, the levels of LH at baseline and after the GnRH test were statistically significant in the group of CPP patients, consistent with the interpretation of the test. In the multivariate analysis, using a cut-off value of 4.1 IU/L, LH peaks showed both very high sensitivity (94%) and very high specificity (95%); all other variables showed high specificity (90%) but unsatisfactory sensitivity. Conclusion-Basal hormone dosages and, especially, basal levels of LH should be considered before performing a GnRH test as they might anticipate the final diagnosis of CPP.

Intergenerational transmission of height in a historical population: From taller mothers to larger offspring at birth (and as adults).

Changes in growth and height reflect changes in nutritional status and health. The systematic surveillance of growth can suggest areas for interventions. Moreover, phenotypic variation has a strong intergenerational component. There is a lack of historical family data that can be used to track the transmission of height over subsequent generations. Maternal height is a proxy for conditions experienced by one generation that relates to the health/growth of future generations. Cross-sectional/cohort studies have shown that shorter maternal height is closely associated with lower birth weight of offspring. We analyzed the maternal height and offspring weight at birth in the maternity hospital in Basel, Switzerland, from 1896 to 1939 (N = ∼12,000) using generalized additive models (GAMs). We observed that average height of the mothers increased by ∼4 cm across 60 birth years and that average birth weight of their children shows a similarly shaped and upward trend 28 years later. Our final model (adjusted for year, parity, sex of the child, gestational age, and maternal birth year) revealed a significant and almost linear association between maternal height and birth weight. Maternal height was the second most important variable modeling birth weight, after gestational age. In addition, we found a significant association between maternal height and aggregated average height of males from the same birth years at time of conscription, 19 years later. Our results have implications for public health: When (female/maternal) height increases due to improved nutritional status, size at birth-and subsequently also the height in adulthood of the next generation-increases as well. However, the directions of development in this regard may currently differ depending on the world region.

Оцінка ефективності комбінованої терапії препаратами рекомбінантного гормона росту та вітаміну D дітей препубертатного віку із соматотропною недостатністю

The treatment of somatotropic insufficiency (SI) remains one of the most important problems in paediatric endocrinology. Since 1985, recombinant growth hormone (rGH) has been widely used to correct the growth of children with SI. Sufficient clinical experience has been gained in the use of rGH preparations, and the efficacy and safety of rGH therapy in children and adolescents with various forms of short stature has been proven. However, there are a number of factors that can have a significant impact on the achievement of final height in adulthood, including a wide range of sensitivity to exogenous growth hormone (GH), the degree of endogenous GH deficiency, patient compliance, and other uncertain factors. Patients with GH deficiency require long-term treatment, the effectiveness of which decreases significantly over time, prompting the search for optimal treatment options. Purpose - to evaluate the effectiveness of combined therapy of pre-pubertal children with SI with rGH and vitamin D drugs. Materials and methods. 23 pre-pubertal children with isolated SI were examined, who took monotherapy with rGH for 3 years. When the effectiveness of monotherapy decreases, vitamin D are added to the treatment complex. The level of 25(OH)D in blood serum is determined by the immunochemiluminescence method on microparticles (Abbott, USA). The levels of GH and insulin-like growth factor-1 were studied by solid-phase enzyme immunoassay using Immulite 2000 XPI kits. Results. At the end of the first year of rGH monotherapy, all patients showed a significant (p<0.05) increase in height. However, already after the second and third years of treatment, height velocity (HV) decreased in all patients. The increase in HV in the third year of treatment with rGH was significantly lower (p<0.05) than in the first year. Thanks to the addition of vitamin D, the further decrease in HV was stopped after the third year of monotherapy with rGH. The increase in HV during the first year of combined therapy was significantly (p<0.05) greater than during the third year of treatment with rGH monotherapy. The same trend was observed after the second year of combined therapy. Conclusions. In the presence of a decrease in the effectiveness of therapy with rGH after the first years of treatment, it is considered appropriate to use combined therapy of children with SI with rGH and vitamin D. The research was carried out in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki Declaration. The study protocol was approved by the Local Ethics Committee of the participating institution. The informed consent of the patient was obtained for conducting the studies. No conflict of interests was declared by the authors.

Neklasičan oblik kongenitalne adrenalne hiperplazije

Introduction: Congenital adrenal hyperplasia is an autosomal recessive disease caused by gene mutation resulting in 21a-hydroxylase deficiency and a consequent reduction in adrenal steroidogenesis. The disease could present as classic and non-classic form. The frequency of non-classic form is 0.1% in general population, the most common clinical presentation is premature adrenarche, and the diagnosis is made by determining the concentration of 17-hydroxyprogesterone. The recommended treatment is hydrocortisone with close growth monitoring. Case report: A 7.5-year-old girl was admitted due to premature puberty, accelerated bone maturation and tall stature. The clinical exam revealed hypertrichosis, normal blood pressure and normal ultrasound of internal reproductive organs. The karyotype was 46 XX, the basal and stimulated levels of 17-hydroxyprogesterone were elevated. Clinical and laboratory regression with stagnation of bone and body growth after starting treatment with hydrocortisone confirmed the diagnosis of non-classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Conclusion: Early diagnosis and therapy provide a better quality of life, reaching the target height in adulthood and avoiding the development of complications.

FOOD PROFILE AND NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF SCHOOLCHILDREN IN THE PERI-URBAN AREA OF CASABLANCA, MOROCCO

Childhood stunting is a major public health concern in both developed and developing countries. It is the consequence of malnutrition during the first years of life and the preconception period. It represents a socio-medical problem, it can present the first sign of a pathology and which can jeopardize a vital and functional prognosis of the child, also it can even become complicated with a small height in adulthood. This study focuses on the impact of eating behaviors, habits, and lifestyle on the stunting of 219 children aged 7 to 12 in the peri-urban area of Casablanca, Morocco. The sampling involved 219 children aged 7 to 12 from the region of Tit mellil “peri-urban area of Casablanca, Morocco. All participants completed a CAP Scoring Assessment Questionnaire. The questionnaire was divided into three sections: food groups, eating behaviour and lifestyle. The height measurement was carried out by a vertical measuring rod, the weight and the BMI using an impedence meter (krada scan). Body status was assessed by comparing BMI to WHO 2008 reference standards. The study involved 219 children (including 125 girls and 94 boys), the mean age was 9.53 ± 1.48, The prevalence of different height per age classes according to sex showed that the prevalence of growth normal and stunting is respectively 96% and 4% according to WHO (2008). The prevalence of stunting is very high in girls than boys, representing 3% and 1% respectively (Table 3). While the distribution according to age shows a high prevalence of stunting with percentages of 0.9% and in children aged 9 and 12 years. Several characteristics differentiate children with a stunting and normal growth children). Children with a stunting are less likely than normal growth children to eat breakfast often (1.83% versus 37.9% without reaching significance). 0.91% never take it, also 1.83% of children with stunting drink 6 to 8 glasses of water per day (p=0.009). In Morocco stunting prevalence is variable, with prevalence of 16.02% according to WHO standards in children aged less than 5 years (Sellam et al., 2015). The stunting estimated at 4% according to the 2008 WHO references, hence the interest of implementing a preventive strategy in order to slow the progression of this problem is necessary. Accordingly, the promotion of a healthy diet.

Most Short Children with Cystic Fibrosis Do Not Catch Up by Adulthood.

Poor linear growth is common in children with cystic fibrosis (CF) and predicts pulmonary status and mortality. Growth impairment develops in infancy, prior to pulmonary decline and despite aggressive nutritional measures. We hypothesized that growth restriction during early childhood in CF is associated with reduced adult height. We used the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) patient registry to identify CF adults between 2011 and 2015 (ages 18–19 y, n = 3655) and had height for age (HFA) records between ages 2 and 4 y. We found that only 26% CF adults were ≥median HFA and 25% were <10th percentile. Between 2 and 4 years, those with height < 10th percentile had increased odds of being <10th percentile in adulthood compared to children ≥ 10th percentile (OR = 7.7). Of HFA measured between the 10th and 25th percentiles at ages 2–4, 58% were <25th percentile as adults. Only 13% between the 10th and 25th percentile HFA at age 2–4 years were >50th percentile as adults. Maximum height between ages 2 and 4 highly correlated with adult height. These results demonstrate that low early childhood CF height correlates with height in adulthood. Since linear growth correlates with lung growth, identifying both risk factors and interventions for growth failure (nutritional support, confounders of clinical care, and potential endocrine involvement) could lead to improved overall health.

Birth weight and adult income: An examination of mediation through adult height and body mass.

This paper examines the causal links between early human endowments and socioeconomic outcomes in adulthood. We use a genotyped longitudinal survey (Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study) that is linked to the administrative registers of Statistics Finland. We focus on the effect of birth weight on income via two anthropometric mediators: body mass index (BMI) and height in adulthood. We find that (i) the genetic instruments for birth weight, adult height, and adult BMI are statistically powerful; (ii) there is a robust total effect of birth weight on income for men but not for women; (iii) the total effect of birth weight on income for men is partly mediated via height but not via BMI; and (iv) the share of the total effect mediated via height is substantial, of approximately 56%.

75561 Association of childhood hypertension with early adulthood obesity and hypertension

ABSTRACT IMPACT: This study establishes the association between childhood hypertension and health outcomes in early adulthood, identifying the need to understand blood pressure during early life for primary prevention of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. OBJECTIVES/GOALS: There is evidence that blood pressure level in early life can influence hypertension and other cardiovascular risk factors later in life. We examined whether hypertension before the age of 18 is associated with higher odds of obesity and hypertension after the age of 18. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: We studied 19,367 children and adolescents from the Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Synthetic Derivative, a de-identified version of the electronic medical record. Childhood hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥130 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ≥80 mmHg at three or more outpatient visits before the age of 18. Obesity and hypertension in early adulthood were the primary outcomes. Obesity was defined as being above normal weight for adulthood height at age 30 based on the NIH’s body mass index tables. Hypertension was defined as SBP ≥130 mmHg or DBP ≥80 mmHg at three or more outpatient visits after the age of 18. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed from logistic regression models adjusted for demographics, medication use, and childhood weight. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Most subjects were female (63%) and white (80%). During childhood, 17% of participants had hypertension. Approximately 58% of this group were obese at age 30, and 38% had hypertension as adults. Compared to females with no childhood hypertension, females with childhood hypertension had 1.35 times higher odds of being obese at age 30 (95% CI: 1.15, 1.58) and 3.56 times higher odds of having hypertension over the age of 18 (95% CI: 3.09, 4.09). Males with childhood hypertension, compared to males without, had 1.28 times higher odds of being obese at age 30 (95% CI: 1.08, 1.52) and 2.74 times higher odds of having hypertension over the age of 18 (95% CI: 2.35, 3.20). Associations between childhood hypertension, early adulthood obesity, and hypertension significantly differed by gender (p-for-interaction for both: &lt;0.01). DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF FINDINGS: Childhood hypertension is associated with obesity and hypertension in early adulthood. Understanding blood pressure levels in childhood and adolescence may help target efforts to reduce early adulthood cardiovascular risk factors.

An atlas on risk factors for type 2 diabetes: a wide-angled Mendelian randomisation study

Aims/hypothesisThe aim of this study was to use Mendelian randomisation (MR) to identify the causal risk factors for type 2 diabetes.MethodsWe first conducted a review of meta-analyses and review articles to pinpoint possible risk factors for type 2 diabetes. Around 170 possible risk factors were identified of which 97 risk factors with available genetic instrumental variables were included in MR analyses. To reveal more risk factors that were not included in our MR analyses, we conducted a review of published MR studies of type 2 diabetes. For our MR analyses, we used summary-level data from the DIAbetes Genetics Replication And Meta-analysis consortium (74,124 type 2 diabetes cases and 824,006 controls of European ancestry). Potential causal associations were replicated using the FinnGen consortium (11,006 type 2 diabetes cases and 82,655 controls of European ancestry). The inverse-variance weighted method was used as the main analysis. Multivariable MR analysis was used to assess whether the observed associations with type 2 diabetes were mediated by BMI. We used the Benjamini–Hochberg method that controls false discovery rate for multiple testing.ResultsWe found evidence of causal associations between 34 exposures (19 risk factors and 15 protective factors) and type 2 diabetes. Insomnia was identified as a novel risk factor (OR 1.17 [95% CI 1.11, 1.23]). The other 18 risk factors were depression, systolic BP, smoking initiation, lifetime smoking, coffee (caffeine) consumption, plasma isoleucine, valine and leucine, liver alanine aminotransferase, childhood and adulthood BMI, body fat percentage, visceral fat mass, resting heart rate, and four plasma fatty acids. The 15 exposures associated with a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes were plasma alanine, HDL- and total cholesterol, age at menarche, testosterone levels, sex hormone binding globulin levels (adjusted for BMI), birthweight, adulthood height, lean body mass (for women), four plasma fatty acids, circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D and education years. Eight associations remained after adjustment for adulthood BMI. We additionally identified 21 suggestive risk factors (p < 0.05), such as alcohol consumption, breakfast skipping, daytime napping, short sleep, urinary sodium, and certain amino acids and inflammatory factors.Conclusions/interpretationThe present study verified several previously reported risk factors and identified novel potential risk factors for type 2 diabetes. Prevention strategies for type 2 diabetes should be considered from multiple perspectives on obesity, mental health, sleep quality, education level, birthweight and smoking.Graphical abstract

Association between adult height, myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke and death: a Korean nationwide population-based study.

The association between adult height and cardiovascular (CV) events and mortality has been suggested, albeit inconsistently. We sought to discover the comprehensive relationship between height, CV-related morbidity and all-cause death according to age. We investigated the association between adult height and myocardial infarction (MI), heart failure (HF), stroke incidence and mortality in 16 528 128 Korean patients who underwent regular health check-ups (2005-08). Height was stratified by decile according to age (20-39 years, 40-59 years and ≥60 years) and gender. During a 9-year follow-up period, 590 346 participants died and 232 093 were admitted to hospital for MI, 201 411 for HF and 267 566 for stroke. An inverse relationship between height and MI, HF, stroke and all-cause death was observed in the overall cohort analysis. The association was unchanged after adjusting for CV risk and behavioural and adulthood socioeconomic factors. Both male and female sex showed an inverse relationship with height in adulthood, CV events and mortality. Adult height showed an inverse association in all CV events and mortality, especially in the older groups (≥40 years). In a subgroup analysis of body mass index, there was an inverse relationship between height, CV events and mortality in each group. Shorter height in adulthood was strongly related to an increased risk of MI, HF, stroke and all-cause death. A suitable environment and appropriate nutrition early in life could influence adult height and eventually reduce the risk of CV events and mortality.

Heterogeneity in the long term health effects of warfare

This paper estimates the long-term heterogeneous legacies of exposures to war in utero and during early childhood on height in adulthood. Using a novel dataset on the regional WWII destruction in Germany, combined with the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP), we find that individuals who experienced warfare in utero and during childhood are an average of 2cm shorter as adults, suggesting that the negative scarring effect of WWII dominated the positive effect coming from a selection. Among war survivors, children from less privileged families who resided in highly destroyed regions, particularly girls, suffered the greatest health consequences of warfare. Our analyses also show that wartime children who lost their parents during the war years are an average of 1.3cm shorter as adults. However, the father’s conscription during WWII had no long-term effect on adult height.

The Effect of Growth Hormone Treatment on Adult Height of Children With Idiopathic Short Stature: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses

Idiopathic short stature (ISS) is a kind of low height among children in which children’s height is more than 2 standard deviation (SD) scores below the mean score of the height of other children with the same age and gender. It is one of the disorders that physicians use growth hormone for its treatment. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to investigate the effect of growth hormone treatment on the adulthood height of children with ISS through meta-analysis method. In total 20 studies with a sample size of 1,517 were included in the meta-analysis through searching in external databases, including Web of science, Pubmed, Cochran, Medline, Embase, Springer, Scopus, and Science Direct using mesh keywords as growth hormone, final height, adult height, and idiopathic short stature. Mean score and SD were utilized for measuring any increase in height growth and random effect model was used for combining studies. Further, I 2 index was used for determining the heterogeneity of studies. Results indicated that before treatment, according to standard mean difference percentile of children’s height was -1.64 (95% confidence interval (CI): -2.01 to -1.28) which is equal to 5%. After treatment, according to standard mean difference percentile of children’s height came out to be 0.11 (95% CI: 0.07 - 0.14) which is equal to 54.38%. This indicates that percentile of children’s height has increased as a result of treatment with growth hormone. Through combining the results of all studies, the mean score for participants’ height before treatment was 5% and after treatment it reached 54%. Therefore, obtained mean difference for adult height after treatment with growth hormone was reported to be more than 1.4 SD score (about 7.6 cm). Growth hormone can be influential in increasing the adult height of children with ISS. J Endocrinol Metab. 2017;7(2):45-54 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jem411w

Growth and puberty in a prospective cohort of patients with sickle-cell anaemia: an assessment over ten years abstract

Introduction: Hereditary haemoglobinopathies are the most common group of monogenic hereditary diseases in the world. Erythrocytes in sickle form, cellular expression of polymerization of deoxygenated HbS, cause intermittent vascular obstruction, leading to tissue ischaemia and consequent chronic damage in organs and endocrine glands. Objective: The evaluation of the growth pattern and pubertal development of a group of patients with sickle-cell anaemia (SCA) from childhood to adulthood. Method: Thirty patients with SCA between the ages of 10 and 23 years were evaluated in a prospective longitudinal study at three points in time (Te1: 2005; Te2: 2010 and Te3: 2015) and compared with controls. Anthropometric, pubertal and hormonal evaluations were carried out. Age- and gender-specific Z-scores for weight, height and BMI (body mass index) were calculated according to the reference growth standards. Results: Thirty patients with SCA (mean age = 13.93 years) were evaluated at Te1 and 26 patients (mean age = 25.08 years) at Te3. The SCA group lower showed Z-scores for weight (p = 0.0002), height (p = 0.0184) and BMI (p = 0.0011) than the control group at Te1. At Te3, there was no difference in height, but weight (p = &lt;0.0001) and BMI (p = &lt;0.0001) were lower in the SCA group. Men showed greater weight commitment than women at the three study times (Te1: p = 0.0340, Te2: p = 0.0426 and Te3: p = 0.0387) and lower BMI in Te3 (p = 0.0155) in the SCA group. There was a significant increase in weight when comparing Te1 with Te3 (p = 0.0009) and in height when comparing Te1 with Te2 (p = 0.0292) and with Te3 (p = 0.0003) in the SCA group. There was a significant increase in weight when comparing Te1 and Te3 (p = 0.0009) and in height when comparing Te1 and Te2 (p = 0.0292) and Te3 (p = 0.0003) in the SCA group. At Te1, 14 cases and 2 controls were prepubertal. Bone age was delayed in 12 patients. Age at menarche was delayed and lower in the SCA group (mean = 15 years). Five patients had gestated, but no patient had experienced fatherhood. At Te1, TSH levels were higher (p = 0.0080) and T3 levels were lower (p = 0.0020) in the SCA group. At Te3, LH and FSH levels were higher in men with SCA (p = 0.0014; p; 0.0002). IGF-I levels were lower in cases both at Te1 (p = 0.0002) and at Te3 (p = 0.0032). Conclusions: Patients with SCA showed growth impairment and pubertal delay compared with healthy controls. However, albeit belatedly, they reached normal sexual maturation and height in adulthood. Women with SCA showed no fertility problems. The findings highlight the need to investigate the intention of paternity and fertility among men with SCA.

Glucose Tolerance Testing and Anthropometric Comparisons Among Rural Residents of Kyiv Region: Investigating the Possible Effect of Childhood Starvation-A Community-Based Study.

A relationship between childhood starvation and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) in adulthood was previously indicated. Ukraine suffered a series of artificial famines between 1921 and 1947. Famines of 1932 to 1933 and 1946 were most severe among them. Long-term health consequences of these famines remain insufficiently investigated. Type 2 diabetes mellitus screening was conducted between June 2013 and December 2014. A total of 198 rural residents of Kyiv region more than 44 years of age, not registered as patients with T2D, were randomly selected. In all, 159 persons answered the question about starvation of parental family, including 73 born before 1947. Among them, 62 persons answered positive. Anthropometric measurements and glucose tolerance tests were performed. A logistic regression model was used to evaluate results. Type 2 diabetes mellitus was detected in 7 of 62 persons (11.3%), who starved during childhood vs 6 of 11 (54.5%) who did not (P = .002), age-adjusted and sex-adjusted odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval): 0.063 (0.007-0.557). Analysis of the anthropometric data revealed a negative connection between adulthood height and neck circumference (cm, continued variables) and childhood starvation: age-adjusted and sex-adjusted ORs 0.86 (0.76-0.97) and 0.73 (0.54-0.97), respectively. Individuals who starved during famines of 1932 to 1933 and 1946 in Ukraine had a decreased T2D prevalence several decades after the famine episodes.

A novel common variant in DCST2 is associated with length in early life and height in adulthood.

Common genetic variants have been identified for adult height, but not much is known about the genetics of skeletal growth in early life. To identify common genetic variants that influence fetal skeletal growth, we meta-analyzed 22 genome-wide association studies (Stage 1; N = 28 459). We identified seven independent top single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (P < 1 × 10−6) for birth length, of which three were novel and four were in or near loci known to be associated with adult height (LCORL, PTCH1, GPR126 and HMGA2). The three novel SNPs were followed-up in nine replication studies (Stage 2; N = 11 995), with rs905938 in DC-STAMP domain containing 2 (DCST2) genome-wide significantly associated with birth length in a joint analysis (Stages 1 + 2; β = 0.046, SE = 0.008, P = 2.46 × 10−8, explained variance = 0.05%). Rs905938 was also associated with infant length (N = 28 228; P = 5.54 × 10−4) and adult height (N = 127 513; P = 1.45 × 10−5). DCST2 is a DC-STAMP-like protein family member and DC-STAMP is an osteoclast cell-fusion regulator. Polygenic scores based on 180 SNPs previously associated with human adult stature explained 0.13% of variance in birth length. The same SNPs explained 2.95% of the variance of infant length. Of the 180 known adult height loci, 11 were genome-wide significantly associated with infant length (SF3B4, LCORL, SPAG17, C6orf173, PTCH1, GDF5, ZNFX1, HHIP, ACAN, HLA locus and HMGA2). This study highlights that common variation in DCST2 influences variation in early growth and adult height.

Associations of Childhood Socioeconomic Status and Adulthood Height With Functional Limitations Among Japanese Older People: Results From the JAGES 2010 Project

We examined the associations between childhood socioeconomic status and adulthood height with functional limitations in old age. Data were obtained from the baseline survey of the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study 2010, a population-based cohort of people aged ≥65 years enrolled from 27 municipalities across Japan (N = 15,499). People aged 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, and ≥80 years experienced the end of World War II when they were aged 0-4, 5-9, 10-14, and ≥15 years, respectively. Subjective socioeconomic status during childhood and current height were obtained by self-report through questionnaire in 2010. Higher-level functional capacity was assessed using a validated questionnaire scale. Poisson regression with robust variance estimator was employed to determine the association between childhood subjective socioeconomic status, height, and functional limitations. Lower childhood subjective socioeconomic status was consistently associated with higher prevalence rate ratio of limitations in higher-level functional capacity, regardless of age cohort. Height was associated with functional limitation only among the group aged 70-74 years: taller (≥170cm for men and ≥160cm for women) people were 16% less likely to report functional limitation in comparison with shorter (<155 cm for men and <145 cm for women) individuals in the fully adjusted model (prevalence rate ratio: 0.84, 95% confidence interval: 0.74-0.96). Low childhood subjective socioeconomic status had a robust association with functional limitation regardless of age cohort. In addition, those who lived through World War II before they reached puberty and attained shorter height were more likely to report functional limitations in old age.

Factors Associated with Falls Among Community-Dwelling Older People in Taiwan

Falls are common among older people. Previous studies have shown that falls were multifactorial. However, data regarding community-dwelling Chinese population are minimal. We aimed to study factors associated with falls among community-dwelling older Chinese people. We conducted a cross-sectional study in a community hospital in Taiwan in 2010. Our sample included 671 elders from the 3680 examinees of the free annual Senior Citizens Health Examination. Participants were interviewed with a detailed questionnaire, and 317 elders were further invited for serum vitamin D tests. The main outcome was falls in the previous 12 months. Predictor variables included sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle risk factors, body stature, frailty, serum 25 (OH) D levels, and medications. The mean age of the 671 participants was 75.7 ± 6.4 years old, and 48.7% of which were female. Fallers comprised 21.0% of the study population. In multivariate models, female gender (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 2.32), loss of height in adulthood (aOR: 1.52), low body weight (aOR: 2.69), central obesity (aOR: 1.67), frailty (aOR: 1.56), polypharmacy (aOR: 2.18) and hyperglycaemia (aOR: 1.56) were factors associated with falls. Vitamin D insufficiency (serum 25 (OH) D levels <30 ng/mL) was not associated with falls (OR: 0.78; 95% CI, 0.38 to 1.60) (n = 317) in this study. Among community-dwelling older people in Taiwan, falls were mainly associated with female gender, polypharmacy, frailty, reduced body height, low body weight or central obesity, and hyperglycaemia. In addition to other risk factors, body stature should be considered as a novel risk factor when screening elders at risk for falls.

Final height in survivors of childhood cancer compared with Height Standard Deviation Scores at diagnosis

BackgroundOur study aimed to evaluate final height in a cohort of Dutch childhood cancer survivors (CCS) and assess possible determinants of final height, including height at diagnosis. Patients and methodsWe calculated standard deviation scores (SDS) for height at initial cancer diagnosis and height in adulthood in a cohort of 573 CCS. Multivariable regression analyses were carried out to estimate the influence of different determinants on height SDS at follow-up. ResultsOverall, survivors had a normal height SDS at cancer diagnosis. However, at follow-up in adulthood, 8.9% had a height ≤-2 SDS. Height SDS at diagnosis was an important determinant for adult height SDS. Children treated with (higher doses of) radiotherapy showed significantly reduced final height SDS. Survivors treated with total body irradiation (TBI) and craniospinal radiation had the greatest loss in height (-1.56 and -1.37 SDS, respectively). Younger age at diagnosis contributed negatively to final height. ConclusionHeight at diagnosis was an important determinant for height SDS at follow-up. Survivors treated with TBI, cranial and craniospinal irradiation should be monitored periodically for adequate linear growth, to enable treatment on time if necessary. For correct interpretation of treatment-related late effects studies in CCS, pre-treatment data should always be included.

Maternal Height and Child Growth Patterns

ObjectiveTo examine associations between maternal height and child growth during 4 developmental periods: intrauterine, birth to age 2 years, age 2 years to mid-childhood (MC), and MC to adulthood.Study designPooled analysis of maternal height and offspring growth using 7630 mother–child pairs from 5 birth cohorts (Brazil, Guatemala, India, the Philippines, and South Africa). We used conditional height measures that control for collinearity in height across periods. We estimated associations between maternal height and offspring growth using multivariate regression models adjusted for household income, child sex, birth order, and study site.ResultsMaternal height was associated with birth weight and with both height and conditional height at each age examined. The strongest associations with conditional heights were for adulthood and 2 years of age. A 1-cm increase in maternal height predicted a 0.024 (95% CI: 0.021-0.028) SD increase in offspring birth weight, a 0.037 (95% CI: 0.033-0.040) SD increase in conditional height at 2 years, a 0.025 (95% CI: 0.021-0.029 SD increase in conditional height in MC, and a 0.044 (95% CI: 0.040-0.048) SD increase in conditional height in adulthood. Short mothers (<150.1 cm) were more likely to have a child who was stunted at 2 years (prevalence ratio = 3.20 (95% CI: 2.80-3.60) and as an adult (prevalence ratio = 4.74, (95% CI: 4.13-5.44). There was no evidence of heterogeneity by site or sex.ConclusionMaternal height influences offspring linear growth over the growing period. These influences likely include genetic and non-genetic factors, including nutrition-related intergenerational influences on growth that prevent the attainment of genetic height potential in low- and middle-income countries.