Birthweight and cardiovascular risk factors in a Japanese general population

Aim This study was conducted to examine whether babies born small develop cardiovascular problems in later life. Methods Data were examined retrospectively for 1241 city dwellers (men 521, women 720) aged 40–69 years who received a medical examination at a single institution. Blood tests, physical measurements, and a questionnaire survey regarding birth weight (small, medium, large), medication history and lifestyle (alcohol consumption, smoking, exercise) was administered. We selected 28 persons (12 men and 16 women) from and studied the rate of conformity between the participants’ memory (small, medium, large) and the actual birth weight recorded in their maternal and child health handbook ( 3500 g). Results Participants’ recall of their birth weight correlated well with the weight recorded in the maternal notebook (r = 0.73; P < 0.025). Low-density lipoprotein (P < 0.05), and total cholesterol (P < 0.01) levels in men, and systolic (P < 0.05) and diastolic (P < 0.05) blood pressure in women were significantly inversely related to birth weight when controlling for age, body mass index, medication, and lifestyle. The percentage of women born small, medium, and large taking antidiabetic agents was 17.8%, 2.9% and 0% (P < 0.05), respectively. Conclusion A low birth weight was associated with high low-density lipoprotein and total cholesterol levels in men, and hypertension and diabetes mellitus in women aged 40–69.