LONDON, April 10 (UPI) -- A study of 5,840 people tracked from birth to the age of 31 in Finland suggests low birth weight is linked to weight gain and possibly heart disease.
Paul Elliott of Imperial College London and colleagues said that small size at birth and excessive weight gain during adolescence and young adulthood may lead to low-grade inflammation, which, in turn, is associated with an increased risk of developing heart disease.
Elliott and colleagues used a protein called C-reactive protein as a biomarker for general inflammation, which is used to help detect heart disease.
The researchers compared birth weight of children participating in the Finland 1966 Birth Cohort study with their C-reactive protein levels at age 31, and found that those who had lower birth weight, have higher C-reactive protein levels when they are adults. However, people who had higher birth weight had lower C-reactive protein levels as adults.
"These findings lead us to conclude that small size at birth and excessive weight gain during adolescence and young adulthood may predispose to low-grade inflammation, which, in turn, is associated with increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease," authors said in a statement.
The findings are published in the European Heart Journal.
