Association of Birth Weight with Risk Factors of Cardiovascular Diseases: A Birth Cohort Analysis from a Rural Area of Northern India

ABSTRACT

Background: Fetal origin of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) hypothesis has been explored mostly in retrospective studies. Objectives: A prospective study was conducted to find the association of birth weight with CVD risk factors. Methods: A cohort of 243 babies born in 1992–1993 in ten villages of Raipur Rani Block in India, were followed?up in 2016–2017. WHO STEPS methods were used to assess the risk factors of CVDs. A total of 213 (87.8%) participants were examined; blood samples were collected from 207. Multivariable regression analysis was done to adjust for the confounding variables. Results: Study participants were 22–24 year old, 27.7% were exposed to tobacco and 24.8% consumed alcohol, 3.3% were taking >5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, 35.7% were physically inactive, 28.6% were overweight (body mass index [BMI] ?23 kg/m2 ), 12.2% had hypertension, 16% had high cholesterol (?200 mg/dl), 16.4% had insulin resistance (IR) (Homeostatic Model Assessment?IR >3), and 20.7% were born with low birth weight (<2.5 kg). Multivariable regression analysis revealed inverse relationship between birth weight and systolic blood pressure (regression coefficient ?3.72 mmHg, 95% confidence interval ?7.249; ?0.183, P < 0.05). Conclusion: Birth weight has inverse relationship with blood pressure. Effect of birth weight on CVDs should also be studied in future follow?ups.