Persistence of the effect of birth size on dysglycaemia and type 2 diabetes in old age: AGES-Reykjavik Study.

• Published in: AGE
• Main Authors: von Bonsdorff, Mikaela B, Muller, Majon, Aspelund, Thor, Garcia, Melissa, Eiriksdottir, Gudny, Rantanen, Taina, Gunnarsdottir, Ingibjörg, Birgisdottir, Bryndis Eva, Thorsdottir, Inga, Sigurdsson, Gunnar, Gudnason, Vilmundur, Launer, Lenore, Harris, Tamara B
• Other Authors: NIA, Lab Epidemiol Demog & Biometry, Intramural Res Program, Bethesda, MD 20892 USA Univ Jyvaskyla, Gerontol Res Ctr, Jyvaskyla 40014, Finland Univ Jyvaskyla, Dept Hlth Sci, Jyvaskyla 40014, Finland Vrije Univ Amsterdam, Med Ctr Amsterdam, Dept Internal Med, Amsterdam, Netherlands Iceland Heart Assoc, Kopavogur, Iceland Univ Iceland, Fac Med, Reykjavik, Iceland Univ Iceland, Unit Nutr Res, Reykjavik, Iceland Natl Univ Hosp Iceland, Landspitali, Reykjavik, Iceland
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Springer International 2014
• Subjects: Aged; 80 and over; Birth Weight; Blood Glucose; Body Mass Index; Diabetes Mellitus; Type 2; Disease Progression; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Glucose Tolerance Test; Humans; Iceland; Incidence; Insulin; Insulin Resistance; Male; Middle Aged; Population Surveillance; Prospective Studies; Weight Gain
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2336/317448; https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-012-9427-5

To access publisher's full text version of this article. Please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field. We studied the effect of birth size on glucose and insulin metabolism among old non-diabetic individuals. We also explored the combined effect of birth size and midlife body mass index (BMI) on type 2 diabetes in old age. Our study comprised 1,682 Icelanders whose birth records included anthropometrical data. The same individuals had participated in the prospective population-based Reykjavik Study, where BMI was assessed at a mean age of 47 years, and in the AGES-Reykjavik Study during 2002 to 2006, where fasting glucose, insulin and HbA1c were measured and homeostasis model assessment for the degree of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) calculated at a mean age of 75.5 years. Type 2 diabetes was determined as having a history of diabetes, using glucose-modifying medication or fasting glucose of >7.0 mmol/l. Of the participants, 249 had prevalent type 2 diabetes in old age. Lower birth weight and body length were associated with higher fasting glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR and HbA1c among old non-diabetic individuals. Higher birth weight and ponderal index at birth decreased the risk for type 2 diabetes in old age, odds ratio (OR), 0.61 [95 % confidence interval (CI), 0.48-0.79] and 0.96 (95 % CI, 0.92-1.00), respectively. Compared with those with high birth weight and low BMI in midlife, the odds of diabetes was almost five-fold for individuals with low birth weight and high BMI (OR, 4.93; 95 % CI, 2.14-11.37). Excessive weight gain in adulthood might be particularly detrimental to the health of old individuals with low birth weight. National Institutes of Health N01-AG-1-2100 National Institute on Aging Intramural Research Program Hjartavernd (the Icelandic Heart Association) Althingi (the Icelandic Parliament) Icelandic Heart Association Academy of Finland University of Jyvaskyla Yrjo Jahnsson Foundation Fulbright Center Finland-US Educational Exchange Commission Icelandic Research Council University ...