Biomedical subjects

C Osmond

Publications and source records attributed to C Osmond.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

PubMed1999

Obesity at the age of 50 y in men and women exposed to famine prenatally.

BACKGROUND: It was shown that men who were conceived during the Dutch famine of 1944-1945 had higher rates of obesity at age 19 y than those conceived before or after it. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to study the effects of prenatal exposure to the Dutch famine on obesity in women and men at age 50 y. DESIGN: We measured the body size of 741 people born at term between November 1943 and February 1947 in Amsterdam. We compared people exposed to famine in late, mid, or early gestation (exposed participants) with those born before or conceived after the famine period (nonexposed participants). RESULTS: The body mass index (BMI; in kg/m(2)) of 50-y-old women exposed to famine in early gestation was significantly higher by 7. 4% (95% CI: 0.7%, 14.5%) than that of nonexposed women. BMI did not differ significantly in women exposed in mid gestation (-2.1%; -7.0%, 3.1%) or in late gestation (-1.3%; -6.3%, 3.9%). In 50-y-old men, BMI was not significantly affected by exposure to famine during any stage of gestation: BMI differed by 0.4% (-3.5%, 4.5%) in men exposed to famine in late gestation, by -1.2% (-5.5%, 3.3%) in those exposed in mid gestation, and by 0.5% (-4.6%, 6.0%) in those exposed in early gestation compared with nonexposed men. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal malnutrition during early gestation was associated with higher BMI and waist circumference in 50-y-old women but not in men. These findings suggest that pertubations of central endocrine regulatory systems established in early gestation may contribute to the development of abdominal obesity in later life.

Birth Weight↗

PubMed1999

Relationship between maternal serum vascular endothelial growth factor concentration in early pregnancy and fetal and placental growth.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has important effects on endothelial cells increasing cell proliferation, permeability and nitric oxide production; concentrations of VEGF in the maternal serum increase during the first 10 weeks of pregnancy. In this study, the relationship of maternal serum VEGF with maternal health during pregnancy and with fetal and placental size at mid-pregnancy and at term was investigated. Serum was obtained from 539 Caucasian women with singleton pregnancies between 8 and 20 weeks of pregnancy (mean 14 weeks). Total serum VEGF concentrations were measured by direct competitive radioimmunoassay. Fetal size and placental volume were measured by ultrasound between 16 and 20 weeks gestation. Birthweight, placental weight and anthropometric measurements of the baby were obtained after delivery. Serum VEGF concentrations were found to be higher in women with a lower weight before pregnancy (P = 0.01) and in those carrying a female fetus (P = 0.002). VEGF concentrations were positively correlated with placental volume (r = 0.17, P = 0.0001) but not with fetal size between 16 and 20 weeks gestation. Serum VEGF concentrations were positively correlated with both birthweight (r = 0.10, P = 0.02) and placental weight at delivery (r = 0.13, P = 0.003). The data presented support the view that VEGF may be one of the factors involved in mediating the maternal cardiovascular adaptation to pregnancy.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Blood pressure in adults after prenatal exposure to famine.

BACKGROUND: Many studies have shown that low birth weight is associated with high blood pressure. The composition of the diet of pregnant women has also been found to affect blood pressure in their children. We assessed the effect of prenatal exposure to the Dutch famine of 1944-1945, during which the caloric intake from protein, fat and carbohydrate was proportionally reduced, on blood pressures in adults now aged about 50 years. METHODS AND RESULTS: We measured blood pressures at home and in the clinic among people born at term in one hospital in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, between November 1 1943 and February 28 1947, for whom we had detailed birth records. Blood pressures of people exposed to famine during late (n = 120), mid-(n = 109) or early gestation (n = 68) were compared with those of people born in the year before or conceived in the year after the famine (unexposed subjects, n = 442). No effect of prenatal exposure on systolic and diastolic blood pressure was observed. The mean systolic blood pressure taken in the clinic in those exposed in late gestation, and adjusted for sex and age, was 1.3 mmHg higher than in the unexposed group (95% confidence interval -1.9 to 4.4). The mean systolic blood pressure differed by -0.6 mmHg (95% confidence interval -3.9 to 2.7) for those exposed in mid-gestation and -1.7 mmHg (95% confidence interval -5.6 to 2.2) for those exposed in early gestation. People who were small at birth had higher blood pressures. A 1 kg increase in birth weight was associated with a decrease of 2.7 mmHg (95% confidence interval 0.3 to 5.1) in systolic blood pressure. Analyses of blood pressures measured at home gave similar results. CONCLUSION: High blood pressure was not linked to prenatal exposure to a balanced reduction of macronutrients in the maternal diet. However, it was linked to reduced fetal growth. We postulate that it might be the composition rather than the quantity of a pregnant woman's diet that affects her child's blood pressure in later life.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Do all systems age together?

BACKGROUND: Aging changes in different body system are well described, but few studies have considered the relationship between them. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was, therefore, to investigate the interrelationships between markers of aging in different parts of the body. METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was used. Structural and functional markers of aging were measured in a number of different body systems. RESULTS: Conditional independence analysis demonstrated that the aging markers selected clustered into two groups, either related to chronological age or adult height. Visual acuity, lens opacity, hearing threshold, cognitive decline, and the number of teeth were associated with age, while systolic blood pressure and skin thickness were related to height. Grip strength was associated with both. CONCLUSIONS: The differential associations of the aging markers with chronological age and adult height suggest that different systems do not age together. This may have relevance for understanding what underlies aging, and these preliminary findings now require replication in other aging cohorts.

Aged↗

PubMed1998

Glucose tolerance in adults after prenatal exposure to famine.

BACKGROUND: Reduced growth in utero is associated with type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance in adult life. There is no direct evidence in human beings that maternal nutrition during gestation affects insulin-glucose metabolism. We investigated glucose tolerance in people born around the time of famine in the Netherlands during 1944-45. METHODS: We included 702 people born between Nov 1, 1943, and Feb 28, 1947, in Amsterdam, for whom we had detailed prenatal and birth records. We compared glucose and insulin responses to a standard oral glucose load in participants exposed to famine at any stage during gestation (exposed participants) with those who were born in the year before or conceived in the year after the famine (non-exposed participants). FINDINGS: Glucose concentrations were increased 2 h after a standard glucose load among exposed participants (p = 0.006), and were highest in men and women exposed during mid and late gestation. Mean 2 h glucose concentration among non-exposed participants was 5.8 mmol/L; concentrations were 0.5 mmol/L (95% CI 0.1-0.9) higher among participants exposed during late gestation, 0.4 mmol/L (0-0.8) higher among those exposed during mid gestation, and 0.1 mmol/L (-0.4 to 0.6) among those exposed during early gestation. Participants born as thin babies to mothers with low bodyweights had the highest concentrations and concentrations were especially high among people exposed to famine who became obese as adults. Prenatal exposure to famine was related to increased fasting proinsulin (p = 0.05) and 2 h insulin concentrations (p = 0.04), which suggests an association with insulin resistance. INTERPRETATION: Prenatal exposure to famine, especially during late gestation, is linked to decreased glucose tolerance in adults. Poor nutrition in utero may lead to permanent changes in insulin-glucose metabolism, even if the effect on fetal growth is small. This effect of famine on glucose tolerance is especially important in people who become obese.

Birth Weight↗

PubMed1998

Size at birth, maternal weight, and type 2 diabetes in South India.

Recent research in Europe and the USA has shown that adults who had a low birthweight or who were thin at birth with a low ponderal index (birthweight/length3) tend to be insulin resistant and have an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Low birthweight and Type 2 diabetes are common in India. We have studied glucose and insulin metabolism in 506 men and women (aged 39-60 years) born in a hospital in Mysore, South India, which kept detailed obstetric records from 1934. The prevalence of Type 2 diabetes was 15%. In contrast to Western populations, higher rates were found in men and women who were short at birth (p = 0.07) and had a high ponderal index (p = 0.05). Their mothers tended to be heavier than average during pregnancy (p = 0.004). Higher ponderal index at birth was also associated with a lower 30 minute insulin increment (p = 0.009), a marker of reduced beta cell function. We speculate that the rise in Type 2 diabetes in Indian urban populations may have been triggered by mild obesity in mothers, leading to glucose intolerance during pregnancy, macrosomic changes in the fetus, and insulin deficiency in adult life.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Effect of intramedullary polymethylmethacrylate and autogenous cancellous bone on healing of frozen segmental allografts.

This study was designed to compare bone mineral density, periosteal callus production, new bone formation, bone porosity, histologic appearance, and union of mid-diaphyseal segmental allografts of the femur stabilized with an interlocking nail technique in a canine model 6 months after the procedure. An in vivo study was performed to compare the effects of augmenting interlocking nail fixation with an interlocking nail alone, intramedullary polymethylmethacrylate, intramedullary polymethylmethacrylate and autogenous cancellous bone applied to the periosteal surface of the host-allograft junction, autogenous cancellous bone applied to the endosteal surface of the allograft, autogenous cancellous bone applied to the periosteal surface of the host-allograft junction, and autogenous cancellous bone applied to the periosteal surface of the host-allograft junction and to the endosteal surface of the allograft. There were no differences among treatments for bone mineral density at any time interval. Callus area 4 weeks after the procedure was greater along the lateral and cranial surfaces for treatments with periosteal cancellous bone (p < 0.05). New bone within the allograft segment did not differ among treatments and was reduced compared with the host-allograft junctions (p < 0.05). The amount and quality of bone tissue at the host-allograft junctions were greatest with treatments of intramedullary polymethylmethacrylate and autogenous cancellous bone applied to the periosteal surface of the host-allograft junction and of autogenous cancellous bone applied to the periosteal surface of the host-allograft junction and to the endosteal surface of the allograft (p < 0.05). The rate of bone union was lower, and there was a greater gap (non-bone tissue) remaining between host and allograft bone with treatment involving just intramedullary polymethylmethacrylate than with other treatments (p < 0.05). The results suggest that augmenting interlocking nail fixation with intramedullary polymethylmethacrylate by itself offers no advantage but that a combination of intramedullary polymethylmethacrylate and cancellous bone at the periosteal surface or of cancellous bone within the medullary canal and at the periosteal surface improves the quality of healing at 6 months.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Mortality from birth to adult life: a longitudinal study of twins.

We have examined mortality from birth through adult life in a cohort of 2562 twins born in Birmingham, UK, between 1950 and 1954. Their birthweights and obstetric details had been recorded as part of a longitudinal study of births in Birmingham. There were a total of 151 perinatal deaths (perinatal mortality rate = 116 per 1000 births) and 227 infant deaths (infant mortality rate = 94 per 1000 live births). 70 deaths occurred after the age of one year. In comparison with national mortality rates in the UK, overall mortality in the twins was high (standard mortality rate, SMR = 259, 95% CI 221-300). Mortality was highest in the first year of life and, although it then declined progressively, it remained significantly higher that that of the general population until age 5 years. The excess mortality was largely due to conditions originating in the perinatal period but there were excess rates of congenital abnormalities, diseases of the respiratory system, digestive system and nervous and sensory organs. A Cox proportional Hazards analysis showed that the risk of death was related to low birthweight, prematurity and male sex. Death of the co-twin was highly predictive of mortality throughout the period of follow up. These studies not only underline the excess mortality associated with twin birth but show for the first time that this excess mortality extends into childhood.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

Are rates of ageing determined in utero?

BACKGROUND: epidemiological studies have shown that poor early growth is associated with cardiovascular and other degenerative diseases. This has been explained by programming, whereby undernutrition and other influences which restrict early growth permanently change the structure and physiology of the body. The long-term effects of poor early nutrition on ageing have been demonstrated in animals but not studied in man. OBJECTIVES: to determine if poor early growth was associated with increased markers of ageing in later life. METHODS: we traced 1428 men and women, born in Hertfordshire between 1920 and 1930, for whom records of early weight were available. 824 (58%) were interviewed at home and 717 (50%) attended clinic for eye examination, audiometry, grip strength measurement, skin thickness ultrasound and anthropometry. RESULTS: lower weight at 1 year was associated with increased lens opacity score, higher hearing threshold, reduced grip strength and thinner skin. Visual acuity, macular degeneration and intraocular pressure were not related to early growth. CONCLUSIONS: the associations between early growth and markers of ageing suggest that in some systems, ageing may be programmed by events in early life. A potential mechanism is the impaired development of repair systems.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

A longitudinal study of maternal serum vascular endothelial growth factor in early pregnancy.

Using a competitive radioimmunoassay to measure total immunoreactive vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), we describe for the first time longitudinal changes in serum VEGF in early pregnancy. The measurements were obtained from 26 women following the transfer of cryopreserved embryos; 18 singleton and eight twin pregnancies were identified by ultrasound at 6 weeks gestation and subsequently delivered as live births. Subjects did not have corpora lutea and exogenous hormone support was provided for the first 70 days of pregnancy. Serum VEGF increased approximately 30 days after embryo transfer and thereafter continued to rise in both singleton and twin pregnancies over a period of 20-40 days after which concentrations remained elevated. The longitudinal profile of serum VEGF concentrations was characterized by a logistic curve for singleton and twin pregnancies; the profile of VEGF concentrations in the twin pregnancies was significantly higher than in the singleton pregnancies (P < 0.0001). Profiles of the longitudinal concentrations of serum human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG), oestradiol and progesterone were created by polynomial regression for singleton and twin pregnancies. The VEGF profiles were positively correlated with the profiles of HCG (r = 0.44, P = 0.02) and oestradiol (r = 0.36, P = 0.07) but not progesterone (r = 0.16, P = 0.42). Serum VEGF concentrations in the singleton thawed embryo pregnancies were compared with gestation-matched normal singleton pregnancies with corpora lutea. Concentrations of VEGF were significantly (P = 0.004) greater in the pregnancies with corpora lutea although this difference became less marked with advancing gestation. In addition to its important role in angiogenesis, we speculate that VEGF is involved in mechanisms which control the maternal cardiovascular adaptation to pregnancy.

Chorionic Gonadotropin↗

PubMed1998

Is blood pressure related to kidney size and shape?

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between blood pressure and the size and shape of the kidneys in healthy volunteers from the community. DESIGN: A cross-sectional community-based study of normal volunteers in Portsmouth City, Hampshire, UK. SUBJECTS: Subjects numbered 185 (99 female), aged 19-66 years. RESULTS: Blood pressure was higher in men, and in those with higher body mass index. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure were correlated with the derived kidney volume. However, when corrected for age, sex and BMI the relationship was not statistically significant. Blood pressure correlated inversely with the width : length ratio of the left kidney. CONCLUSIONS: Blood pressure was not correlated with kidney size in this group of adults.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Disproportionate fetal growth and fingerprint patterns.

Fingerprint whorl patterns are formed during fetal life. In a group of 180 term infants, those with more fingerprint whorls tended to have a small abdominal circumference (P = 0.09) and high ratio of head to abdominal circumference (P = 0.008). These associations were independent of the relation between the whorl counts of the mothers and their infants. We also found an independent correlation between the babies' whorl count and the combination of increasing subscapular (P = 0.03) and decreasing triceps (P = 0.02) skinfold thicknesses of the mothers. Whorl patterns are associated with adult hypertension; maternal nutritional status may influence their common origin during fetal development.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Fetal growth, length of gestation, and polycystic ovaries in adult life.

BACKGROUND: Polycystic ovaries are a common disorder associated with menstrual irregularities, subfertility, hirsutism, acne, and a range of endocrine abnormalities, including high concentrations of plasma luteinising hormone (LH) and excessive androgen production. The pathophysiology is not understood. We investigated whether the disorder originates during intrauterine life. METHODS: We examined 235 women aged 40-42 years who were born in Sheffield, UK. We related the prevalence of polycystic ovaries and the plasma concentrations of gonadotropin hormones and androgens to the women's body size at birth, and the length of gestation. FINDINGS: 49 (21%) of the women had polycystic ovaries. We defined two groups of women with the disorder, which correspond to the two groups that commonly present clinically. The first group comprised obese women who were androgenised, with higher than normal concentrations of plasma LH and testosterone. These women had above-average birthweight and were born to overweight mothers. The second group comprised women of normal weight who had high plasma LH, but normal testosterone concentrations. These women were born after term (40 weeks' gestation). INTERPRETATION: The two common forms of polycystic ovary syndrome have different origins in intrauterine life. Obese, hirsute women with polycystic ovaries have higher than normal ovarian secretion of androgens that are associated with high birthweight and maternal obesity. Thin women with polycystic ovaries have altered hypothalamic control of LH release resulting from prolonged gestation.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Mother's weight in pregnancy and coronary heart disease in a cohort of Finnish men: follow up study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether restricted growth in utero is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease are among men in Finland, where rates of the disease are among the highest in the world. DESIGN: Follow up study. SETTING: Helsinki, Finland. SUBJECTS: 3302 men born in Helsinki University Central Hospital during 1924-33 who went to school in the city of Helsinki and were resident in Finalnd in 1971. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Standardised mortality ratios for coronary heart disease. RESULTS: Men who were thin at birth, with low placental weight, had high death rates from coronary heart disease. Men whose mothers had a high body mass index in pregnancy also had high death rates. In a multivariate analysis the hazard ratio for coronary heart disease was 1.37 (95% confidence interval 1.20 to 1.57) (P < 0.0001) for every standard deviation decrease in ponderal index at birth and 1.24 (1.10 to 1.39) (P = 0.0004) for every standard deviation increase in mother's body mass index. The effect of mother's body mass index was restricted to mothers of below average stature. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest a new explanation for the epidemics of coronary heart disease that accompany Westernisation. Chronically malnourished women are short and light and their babies tend to be thin. The immediate effect of improved nutrition is that women become fat, which seems to increase the risk of coronary heart disease in the next generation. With continued improvements in nutrition, women become taller and heavier; their babies are adequately nourished; and maternal fatness no longer increases the risk of coronary heart disease, which therefore declines.

Aged↗

PubMed1997

Is the age of menopause determined in-utero?

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether age at menopause is related to size at birth. DESIGN: A follow-up study of two groups of women whose size at birth was recorded. SETTING: Hertfordshire and Sheffield, England. POPULATION: 755 women aged 60-71 years born in Hertfordshire; 235 women aged 40-42 years born in the Jessop Hospital, Sheffield. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Age at natural menopause or serum follicle stimulating hormone concentration greater than 25 IU/ml. RESULTS: Age at menopause was unrelated to birth weight. However, it occurred at a younger age in women who had low weight at 1 year. This was independent of their body weight and smoking habits. In the population of younger women those who had had an early menopause tended to have been short at birth, with a high ponderal index (birth weight/length3). CONCLUSION: Growth retardation in late gestation, leading to shortness at birth and low weight gain in infancy, may be associated with a reduced number of primordial follicles in the ovary leading in turn to an earlier menopause.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Maternal serum vascular endothelial growth factor during early pregnancy.

1. The objectives of the study were: (i) to investigate the serum concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in pregnant and non-pregnant women; and (ii) to study the relationship between the levels of maternal serum VEGF and the serum concentrations of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) and progesterone during the first trimester. 2. Total immunoreactive VEGF was measured by competitive RIA using recombinant human VEGF165 and a polyclonal antiserum. Serum VEGF was measured in 60 non-pregnant women of childbearing age. These data were compared with serum VEGF measured in 363 women between 41 and 91 days of gestation. 3. The median serum VEGF concentration was 1.10 micrograms/l (interquartile range 0.91-1.30) in the nonpregnant women and 2.13 micrograms/l (interquartile range 1.62-2.77) in the pregnant women. Serum levels of VEGF were significantly higher among the pregnant cohort (P < 0.0001). Serum VEGF concentration was positively correlated with gestational age, increasing until ten completed weeks of pregnancy. Serum VEGF was negatively correlated with maternal height and weight, and positively correlated with serum hCG and serum progesterone (P < or = 0.0001 in all cases). Serum VEGF was lower in the pregnant women who smoked (P = 0.06). 4. Our data show a positive and highly significant correlation between maternal serum levels of VEGF and hormones reflecting placental function (hCG, progesterone). We speculate that VEGF production is increased by progesterone and hCG, and that VEGF has a positive influence on trophoblast development. VEGF may also be involved in the initiation of the maternal cardiovascular adaptation to pregnancy.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Mortality from aortic aneurysm in migrants between counties of England and Wales: evidence for causes acting early in life.

We assessed whether the causes of aortic aneurysm underlying its distinctive geographical distribution in England and Wales act early or later in life from the OPCS data on deaths in England and Wales during April 1969-December 1972. From these data, we calculated proportional mortality ratios (PMRs) for aortic aneurysm by county of birth and county of death, for men and women aged 45-74. Among people resident in the county of their birth, PMRs for aortic aneurysm by county ranged from 31 in Pembrokeshire to 194 in Surrey. Among 'migrants', who died in a different county from that in which they were born, PMRs by place of death varied from 85 in the group of counties which had the lowest mortality in non-migrants to 111 in those with the highest mortality in non-migrants, and PMRs by place of birth varied from 74 in counties with lowest mortality in non-migrants to 113 in those with highest mortality in non-migrants. After adjustment for place of residence at death, the relation of mortality to place of birth was highly significant statistically (P < < 0.001). These findings indicate important causes of aortic aneurysm acting early in life, perhaps related to the formation of elastin in the arterial wall.

Aged↗

PubMed1997

Maternal birthweight and diet in pregnancy in relation to the infant's thinness at birth.

OBJECTIVE: To examine how maternal diet in pregnancy and parental body size and birthweight influence an infant's thinness at birth measured by a low ponderal index. DESIGN: An observational study of newborn infants and their parents. SETTING: Southampton, England. POPULATION: Five hundred and thirty-eight infants born at term. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Ponderal index at birth. RESULTS: Women who had a high intake of carbohydrate in early pregnancy and a low intake of dairy protein in late pregnancy tended to have infants that were thin at birth (P = 0.01 and P = 0.03, respectively, in a simultaneous analysis). Women who themselves had a low birthweight also tended to have thin infants, ponderal index falling from 28.3 kg/m3 to 26.2 kg/m3 as the women's birthweights decreased from more than 4.0 kg to 2.5 kg or less (P < 0.0001). Tall fathers had thin infants, but ponderal index was not related to the women's heights or the fathers' birthweights. CONCLUSION: These associations may reflect constraints on placental development imposed by a woman's nutrition in pregnancy and during her own intrauterine life. Effects of the father's height may be mediated through genetic influences on skeletal growth.

Adult↗