The relationship between famine exposure during early life and carotid plaque in adulthood

Effect modification of socioeconomic status on the association of exposure to famine in early life with osteoporosis in women

BACKGROUND

The present study aimed to explore the effect of modification of socioeconomic status (SES) on the association between famine exposure in early life and osteoporosis in adulthood via the baseline data from the Henan Rural cohort study.

METHODS

A total of 2669 exposed to famine participants were selected from the Henan Rural cohort, and the questionnaires, physical examination and bone mineral density measurement were completed. Specific birth years were used to define five groups: the fetal exposed group, early-childhood exposed group, mid-childhood exposed group, late-childhood exposed group and unexposed group. And the age-matched control group was a combination of the unexposed group and late-childhood exposed group. Multivariable logistic regression models were utilised to analyse the association of famine exposure in early life with osteoporosis in adulthood.

RESULTS

The prevalence rates of osteoporosis of participants exposed to famine during the fetal period, early-childhood, mid-childhood and the age-matched group were 21.67%, 25.76%, 23.90% and 18.14%, respectively. The adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence interval) of participants suffering from famine during the fetal period, early-childhood and mid-childhood versus age-matched group were 1.19 (0.82-1.73), 1.40 (1.04-1.88) and 1.57 (1.16-2.13), respectively. The female participants yielded consistent results. The risk of osteoporosis was higher in more severe famine eara. Moreover, an attenuated effect of early life famine exposure on osteoporosis was observed in female participants with high SES.

CONCLUSIONS

Exposure to famine in early life showed a sex-specific association with an increased risk of osteoporosis in adulthood and the severity of famine may exacerbate this association. In addition, the risk could be modified by SES.

Correlation of Great Chinese Famine Exposure During Early Life to Prevalence of Kidney Stone in Adulthood

Background

The Great Chinese Famine, as the famine of 1959-1961 was often known. Famine exposure during early life was proven to be associated with some kidney diseases but has not been studied with kidney stone. We aimed to investigate the relationship between exposure to the Great Chinese Famine in early life and the incidence of kidney stone in adulthood.

Methods

From 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2018, a total of 19,658 eligible adults were recruited in a cross-sectional survey who were born between 1 October 1952 and 30 September 1964 in Guangdong, China. Participants were separated into kidney stone and none-kidney stone groups based on kidney stone status. According to birth data, participants were divided into non-exposed, fetal-exposed, early-, mid-, and late-childhood-exposed groups. Multivariate logistic regression, subgroup analysis and interaction test were used to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) and confidence intervals (CIs) between famine exposure and kidney stone.

Results

In total, 19,658 (12,246 female, mean age 59.31 ± 3.68 years) subjects were enrolled, and 3219 (16.38%) participants with kidney stone. The prevalence of kidney in none-, fetal-, early-, mid-, and late-childhood-exposed groups were 645 (14.9%), 437 (15.9%), 676 (16.3%), 743 (17.0%), and 718 (17.6%), respectively (P<0.001). When compared with the unexposed group, the fully adjusted ORs for kidney stone from fetal-exposed, early-, mid- to late-childhood-exposed groups were 1.37 (95% CI: 1.13, 1.68, P=0.002), 1.98 (95% CI: 1.45, 2.72, P<0.001), 2.94 (95% CI: 1.96, 4.42, P<0.001), and 3.48 (95% CI: 2.11, 5.72, P<0.001), respectively (P for trend<0.001). Subgroup analyses revealed no interactions between the famine effect on kidney stones and body mass index, gender, smoking status, history of diabetes or hypertension (all P for interaction >0.05).

Conclusion

This study found that exposure to the Great Chinese Famine during early life was independently associated with the increased incidence of kidney stone in adulthood.

The Relationship Between Famine Exposure During Early Life and Left Ventricular Hypertrophy in Adulthood

Background

Although the evidence was still limited, some studies suggested that childhood malnutrition might affect cardiac function and structure in adulthood. To address the knowledge gap, this study investigated if the Great Chinese Famine exposure during early life had affected left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH).

Methods

This research was a cross-sectional study. It included participants who had cardiac ultrasound assessments and were born in Guangdong, China, from 1 October 1952 to 30 September 1964. They were classified according to their exposure period to famine, namely, no exposure, fetal-, early-, mid-, and late childhood. Multivariate logistic regression and subgroup analysis have been conducted to determine the odds ratio (OR) and confidence intervals (CIs) between famine exposure and LVH.

Results

This research included 2,543 participants, 1,612 women, their mean age was 59.07 ± 3.65 years, and 704 participants had LVH. LVH prevalence was 122 (23.6%), 87 (25.1%), 133 (27.3%), 184 (29.2%), and 178 (31.7%), in non-, fetal-, early-, mid-, and late-childhood exposed groups, respectively (p = 0.031), while in the non-exposed group, the ORs for developing carotid plaque as a result of fetal, early-, mid- to late-childhood exposure were 1.08 (95% CI: 0.76, 1.59, p = 0.619), 1.24 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.79, p = 0.031), 1.49 (95% CI: 1.10, 2.01, p = 0.009), and 1.64 (95% CI: 1.25, 2.18, p = 0.001), respectively (p for trend = 0.003). There was no interactive effect between gender, obesity, or hypertension history with how the famine influenced LVH, as the subgroups analyses demonstrated (all p for interaction > 0.05).

Conclusion

This research has demonstrated the potential relationship between Great Chinese Famine exposure during childhood and LVH in adults.