Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Johan G Eriksson

Publications and source records attributed to Johan G Eriksson.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2024

Epigenetic signature of very low birth weight in young adult life.

BACKGROUND: Globally, one in ten babies is born preterm (<37 weeks), and 1-2% preterm at very low birth weight (VLBW, <1500&#x2009;g). As adults, they are at increased risk for a plethora of health conditions, e.g., cardiometabolic disease, which may partly be mediated by epigenetic regulation. We compared blood DNA methylation between young adults born at VLBW and controls. METHODS: 157 subjects born at VLBW and 161 controls born at term, from the Helsinki Study of Very Low Birth Weight Adults, were assessed for peripheral venous blood DNA methylation levels at mean age of 22 years. Significant CpG-sites (5'-C-phosphate-G-3') were meta-analyzed against continuous birth weight in four independent cohorts (pooled n&#x2009;=&#x2009;2235) with cohort mean ages varying from 0 to 31 years. RESULTS: In the discovery cohort, 66 CpG-sites were differentially methylated between VLBW adults and controls. Top hits were located in HIF3A, EBF4, and an intergenic region nearest to GLI2 (distance 57,533&#x2009;bp). Five CpG-sites, all in proximity to GLI2, were hypermethylated in VLBW and associated with lower birth weight in the meta-analysis. CONCLUSION: We identified differentially methylated CpG-sites suggesting an epigenetic signature of preterm birth at VLBW present in adult life. IMPACT: Being born preterm at very low birth weight has major implications for later health and chronic disease risk factors. The mechanism linking preterm birth to later outcomes remains unknown. Our cohort study of 157 very low birth weight adults and 161 controls found 66 differentially methylated sites at mean age of 22 years. Our findings suggest an epigenetic mark of preterm birth present in adulthood, which opens up opportunities for mechanistic studies.

Humans↗
PubMed2007

Infant growth and stroke in adult life: the Helsinki birth cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: People who had low birth weight are at increased risk of stroke. Little is known about the effects of early postnatal growth on stroke risk. METHODS: We followed-up 12 439 people born in Helsinki during 1934 to 1944. Their body size was measured at birth and, on average, 9 times between birth and age 2 years; 507 of them were hospitalized with stroke or died from the disease. RESULTS: Hazard ratios for stroke declined progressively with increasing gain in weight between birth and age 2 years. The hazard ratio was 0.85 (95% CI, 0.78 to 0.93; P=0.0004) per standard deviation increase in the difference between the weight attained at age 2 years and that predicted from birth weight. A 1-standard deviation increase in body mass index at 2 years of age was associated with a hazard ratio for stroke of 0.84 (95% CI, 0.77 to 0.92; P=0.0002). This association was little changed by adjustment for measures of socio-economic status. Change in body size after the age of 2 years had little effect on the risk of later stroke. People whose mothers had a small external conjugate diameter of the pelvis had an increased risk of stroke. The hazard ratio associated with a diameter of < or =18 cm was 1.62 (95% CI, 1.30 to 2.02; P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Thinness during infancy is associated with an increased risk of stroke in later life. This association may be the result of maternal influences which originated in the mother's infancy when her pelvic shape was established.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Sustained reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes by lifestyle intervention: follow-up of the Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study.

BACKGROUND: Lifestyle interventions can prevent the deterioration of impaired glucose tolerance to manifest type 2 diabetes, at least as long as the intervention continues. In the extended follow-up of the Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study, we assessed the extent to which the originally-achieved lifestyle changes and risk reduction remain after discontinuation of active counselling. METHODS: Overweight, middle-aged men (n=172) and women (n=350) with impaired glucose tolerance were randomly assigned to intensive lifestyle intervention or control group. After a median of 4 years of active intervention period, participants who were still free of diabetes were further followed up for a median of 3 years, with median total follow-up of 7 years. Diabetes incidence, bodyweight, physical activity, and dietary intakes of fat, saturated fat, and fibre were measured. FINDINGS: During the total follow-up, the incidence of type 2 diabetes was 4.3 and 7.4 per 100 person-years in the intervention and control group, respectively (log-rank test p=0.0001), indicating 43% reduction in relative risk. The risk reduction was related to the success in achieving the intervention goals of weight loss, reduced intake of total and saturated fat and increased intake of dietary fibre, and increased physical activity. Beneficial lifestyle changes achieved by participants in the intervention group were maintained after the discontinuation of the intervention, and the corresponding incidence rates during the post-intervention follow-up were 4.6 and 7.2 (p=0.0401), indicating 36% reduction in relative risk. INTERPRETATION: Lifestyle intervention in people at high risk for type 2 diabetes resulted in sustained lifestyle changes and a reduction in diabetes incidence, which remained after the individual lifestyle counselling was stopped.

Blood Glucose↗
PubMed2006

Spontaneous hypothyroidism in adult women is predicted by small body size at birth and during childhood.

BACKGROUND: The relationships of early growth with coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes have received considerable attention. It is not known whether fetal or childhood growth is linked with autoimmune disorders. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to assess whether the risk of adult-onset spontaneous hypothyroidism is predicted by body size at birth and during childhood. DESIGN AND SETTING: We conducted a birth cohort study in Helsinki, Finland. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 293 women who were born between 1934 and 1944 and had their heights and weights recorded at birth and during childhood participated in the study. MEASUREMENTS: We measured spontaneous hypothyroidism, defined as: 1) a disease history confirmed from medical records, or 2) previously undiagnosed hypothyroidism (TSH > 10 mU/liter). RESULTS: Twenty women (6.8%) had spontaneous hypothyroidism; 18 had been diagnosed previously, between 43 and 65 yr of age, and two had undiagnosed subclinical hypothyroidism. In addition, 59 women were thyroid peroxidase antibody positive. Compared with the 214 thyroid peroxidase antibody-negative women with no thyroid disorder, those with spontaneous hypothyroidism had on average 252 g [95% confidence interval (CI), 61 to 443 g; P = 0.01] lower birth weight and 1.2 cm (95% CI, 0.5 to 2.0 cm; P = 0.002) shorter length at birth. The odds of developing hypothyroidism increased 4.4-fold per kilogram decrease in birth weight (95% CI, 1.4 to 14.1). Hypothyroid subjects had been shorter in early childhood and had lower body mass index during later childhood. CONCLUSIONS: Small body size at birth and during childhood increases the risk of spontaneous hypothyroidism in adult women.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Associations of body size at birth with late-life cortisol concentrations and glucose tolerance are modified by haplotypes of the glucocorticoid receptor gene.

CONTEXT: Small body size at birth is associated with cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes in adult life. This link may be in part mediated by early-life programming of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) function. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to assess whether haplotypes of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) gene modify this link. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: We conducted a birth cohort study that included 437 men and women born in Helsinki, Finland, during 1924-1933, whose birth measurements were recorded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We studied how the oral glucose tolerance test and fasting plasma total and free cortisol concentrations and, in a subset of 162 women, a more detailed HPAA evaluation, are predicted by body size at birth and haplotypes of the GR locus. We also measured the haplotype-specific relative mRNA expression level for the haplotype of interest. RESULTS: One of the haplotypes was associated with lower birth weight and length and higher fasting plasma and mean 24-h salivary cortisol. Moreover, this haplotype modified the association of length at birth with adult phenotypes; in carriers, short length at birth was associated with increased fasting plasma cortisol, cortisol/corticosteroid-binding globulin ratio, impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes [1 cm decrease corresponded to 1.36-fold odds ratio; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.09-1.70; P = 0.007], and higher 120-min glucose (5.8%; 95% CI, 2.5-9.1%; P = 0.0007), but no association was seen in noncarriers (P for interaction was 0.06, 0.01, 0.02, and 0.01, respectively). The mRNA expression level of this haplotype was 93.7% (95% CI, 90.5-96.8%; P = 2.2 x 10(-4)) of the expression level of the other haplotypes. CONCLUSIONS: A common GR haplotype may contribute to and modify the association of short length at birth with adult glucose tolerance and HPAA function by a mechanism that affects regulation of GR expression.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Association between ghrelin gene variations and blood pressure in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance.

BACKGROUND: Ghrelin is a gut-brain hormone, which stimulates food intake and controls energy balance. Recently, it has been shown that ghrelin may also play a role in the regulation of blood pressure (BP) by acting at the sympathetic nervous system. In the present study we genotyped six variants of the ghrelin gene and its promoter, and tested whether these single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were associated with BP levels in participants of the Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study. METHODS: The Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study was a longitudinal study where 522 subjects with impaired glucose tolerance were randomized into either an intervention or control group. DNA was available from 507 subjects (mean body mass index [BMI] 31.2+/-4.5 kg/m2, age 55+/-7 years). All six SNPs were screened by the restriction fragment length polymorphism method. RESULTS: Subjects with the most common genotype combination of the following four SNPs, -604G/A, -501A/C, Leu72Met, and Gln90Leu, had the lowest systolic (131+/-11 v 137+/-13 mm Hg, P=.003) and diastolic BP levels (79+/-7 v 83+/-7 mm Hg, P=.004) at the baseline of the study and during 3 years of follow-up compared to all other genotypes. Adjustments for age, gender, antihypertensive medication, BMI, waist circumference, and alcohol intake did not change this association. CONCLUSIONS: Several ghrelin gene variations were associated with BP levels in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Methodologic considerations in the measurement of glycemic index: glycemic response to rye bread, oatmeal porridge, and mashed potato.

BACKGROUND: Methodologic choices affect measures of the glycemic index (GI). The effects on GI values of blood sampling site, reference food type, and the number of repeat tests have been insufficiently determined. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to study the effect of methodologic choices on GI values. Comparisons were made between venous and capillary blood sampling and between glucose and white bread as the reference food. The number of tests needed for the reference food was assessed. Rye bread, oatmeal porridge, and instant mashed potato were used as the test foods. DESIGN: Twelve healthy volunteers were served each test food once and both reference foods 3 times at 1-wk intervals in a random order after they had fasted overnight. Capillary and venous blood samples were drawn at intervals for 3 h after each study meal. RESULTS: GIs and their CVs based on capillary samples were lower than those based on venous samples. Two tests of glucose solution as the reference provided stable capillary GIs for the test foods. The capillary GIs did not differ significantly when white bread was used as the reference 1, 2, or 3 times, but the variation was lower when tests were performed 2 and 3 times. Capillary GIs with white bread as the reference were 1.3 times as high as those with glucose as the reference. The capillary GIs of rye bread, oatmeal porridge, and mashed potato were 77, 74, and 80, respectively, with glucose as the reference. CONCLUSIONS: Capillary blood sampling should be used in the measurement of GI, and reference tests with glucose or white bread should be performed at least twice.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Systemic immune mediators and lifestyle changes in the prevention of type 2 diabetes: results from the Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study.

The Finnish DPS (Diabetes Prevention Study) demonstrated that lifestyle intervention, aimed at increasing physical activity, improving diet, and decreasing body weight, reduced the incidence of type 2 diabetes in individuals with overweight and impaired glucose tolerance by 58%. Here, we studied which immunological markers at baseline predicted subsequent type 2 diabetes and whether there are immunologically defined subsets of subjects who are more or less responsive to the protective effects of lifestyle intervention. We randomly assigned 522 participants to a control group (n = 257) or a lifestyle intervention group (n = 265). Immunological parameters at baseline included high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP), serum amyloid A, interleukin-6, regulated on activation normal T-cell expressed and secreted (RANTES), macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule. In the control group, CRP was the best immunological predictor for progression to overt type 2 diabetes. In the intervention group, progression to type 2 diabetes was significantly higher in subjects with the highest RANTES concentrations and was lower in subjects with the highest MIF levels. Ratios of RANTES to MIF in the upper tertile were highly predictive of incident type 2 diabetes in the intervention group (P = 0.006), whereas the association was less pronounced in the control group (P = 0.088). Thus, systemic concentrations of immune mediators appear to be associated with the progression to type 2 diabetes and the prevention of type 2 diabetes by lifestyle changes.

Anthropometry↗
PubMed2006

[Not Available].

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Editorial↗
PubMed2005

Trajectories of growth among children who have coronary events as adults.

BACKGROUND: Low birth weight is a risk factor for coronary heart disease. It is uncertain how postnatal growth affects disease risk. METHODS: We studied 8760 people born in Helsinki from 1934 through 1944. Childhood growth had been recorded. A total of 357 men and 87 women had been admitted to the hospital with coronary heart disease or had died from the disease. Coronary risk factors were measured in a subset of 2003 people. RESULTS: The mean body size of children who had coronary events as adults was below average at birth. At two years of age the children were thin; subsequently, their body-mass index (BMI) increased relative to that of other children and had reached average values by 11 years of age. In simultaneous regressions, the hazard ratios associated with a 1 SD increase in BMI were 0.76 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.66 to 0.87; P<0.001) at 2 years and 1.14 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.00 to 1.31; P=0.05) at 11 years among the boys. The corresponding figures for the girls were 0.62 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.46 to 0.82; P=0.001) and 1.35 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.02 to 1.78; P=0.04). Low BMI at 2 years of age and increased BMI from 2 to 11 years of age were also associated with raised fasting insulin concentrations (P<0.001 for both). CONCLUSIONS: On average, adults who had a coronary event had been small at birth and thin at two years of age and thereafter put on weight rapidly. This pattern of growth during childhood was associated with insulin resistance in later life. The risk of coronary events was more strongly related to the tempo of childhood gain in BMI than to the BMI attained at any particular age.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Size at birth as a predictor of mortality in adulthood: a follow-up of 350 000 person-years.

BACKGROUND: Small body size at birth, as a marker of an adverse intrauterine environment, has recently emerged as an important risk factor for death from cardiovascular disease. Our aim was to study the relationship between small size at birth and all-cause and non-cardiovascular mortality, which has been poorly documented. METHODS: We studied 13 830 individuals born between 1924 and 1944 in Helsinki, Finland, at term as singletons. Dates and primary causes of death between 1971 and 1998 were obtained from the Finnish National Death Register. RESULTS: 1668 men and 671 women died during the follow-up at the mean age of 56.0 (range 26.7-74.9) years. Lower birthweight was associated with increased all-cause mortality in females (Odds ratio (OR) for 1 kg decrease in birthweight 1.25, 95% CI 1.05-1.49; P = 0.01) but not in males (OR 1.08; 0.96-1.19; P = 0.2; P for sex-birthweight interaction = 0.09). Similarly, short length at birth was a predictor of all-cause mortality in females (OR for 1 cm decrease 1.10; 1.05-1.15; P < 0.0001) but not in males (OR 1.01; 0.98-1.02; P = 0.4; P for sex-length at birth interaction = 0.002). Low birthweight and short length at birth predicted premature death in adulthood (<55 years) in both sexes. In males, death from cardiovascular disease (n = 654) was associated with lower birthweight (OR for 1 kg decrease 1.33; 1.12-1.59; P = 0.001), and length (OR 1.05; 1.00-1.10; P = 0.03), and in females death from cardiovascular disease (n = 179) was associated with short length at birth (OR 1.11; 1.02-1.20; P = 0.02). In females death from non-cardiovascular diseases was predicted by low birthweight (OR 1.25; 1.01-1.54; P = 0.04) and short length at birth (OR 1.09; 1.03-1.15; P = 0.003) (n = 475), but not in males (n = 975; P for interaction = 0.02 and 0.004, respectively). Cancer-related death was associated with higher birthweight (OR for 1 kg decrease 0.76; 0.61-0.95; P = 0.02) and ponderal index (OR for 1 kg/m(3) increase 0.95; 0.91-0.99; P = 0.01) in males (n = 361) but not in females (n = 269). CONCLUSIONS: Small size at birth is associated with increased all-cause mortality at all ages among adult women but only with premature death in adult men. Among women death from both cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular causes is associated with small body size at birth. Among men an association between small birthsize and later cardiovascular disease is counterbalanced by an association between large body size at birth and later cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Early growth and adult health outcomes--lessons learned from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study.

Slow growth during fetal life and infancy is often followed by accelerated weight gain in childhood. These patterns of growth seem to precede the development of coronary heart disease (CHD) and type 2 diabetes in adult life. Patterns of growth associated with CHD and type 2 diabetes in adult life are described based upon findings from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study. We are beginning to understand that adult degenerative diseases are associated with different patterns of early growth. Yet it is not clear what optimal growth is and how it can be achieved. Most data suggest that the development of many non-communicable diseases involve a number of interactions including genetic ones. Therefore these diseases can best be focused upon from a life cycle perspective.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed2005

Physical activity in the prevention of type 2 diabetes: the Finnish diabetes prevention study.

Clinical trials have demonstrated that lifestyle changes can prevent type 2 diabetes, but the importance of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) is still unclear. We carried out post hoc analyses on the role of LTPA in preventing type 2 diabetes in 487 men and women with impaired glucose tolerance who had completed 12-month LTPA questionnaires. The subjects were participants in the Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study, a randomized controlled trial of lifestyle changes including diet, weight loss, and LTPA. There were 107 new cases of diabetes during the 4.1-year follow-up period. Individuals who increased moderate-to-vigorous LTPA or strenuous, structured LTPA the most were 63-65% less likely to develop diabetes. Adjustment for changes in diet and body weight during the study attenuated the association somewhat (upper versus lower third: moderate-to-vigorous LTPA, relative risk 0.51, 95% CI 0.26-0.97; strenuous, structured LTPA, 0.63, 0.35-1.13). Low-intensity and lifestyle LTPA and walking also conferred benefits, consistent with the finding that the change in total LTPA (upper versus lower third: 0.34, 0.19-0.62) was the most strongly associated with incident diabetes. Thus increasing physical activity may substantially reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes in high-risk individuals.

Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2↗
PubMed2004

Physical activity, body mass index, and risk of type 2 diabetes in patients with normal or impaired glucose regulation.

BACKGROUND: Sedentary lifestyle, obesity, and impaired glucose regulation are associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes. However, the joint associations of these risk factors are not known. METHODS: We prospectively followed up 2017 Finnish men and 2352 Finnish women aged between 45 and 64 years without a history of known or newly diagnosed diabetes at baseline. Single and joint associations of physical activity, body mass index (BMI), and blood glucose levels with risk of type 2 diabetes were examined using Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: During a mean follow-up of 9.4 years, there were 120 incident cases of type 2 diabetes. After adjustment for confounding factors (age, study year, sex, systolic blood pressure, smoking, and education), physical activity was found to be inversely associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes. This association was persistent in subjects with (1) both obesity and impaired glucose regulation, (2) either obesity or impaired glucose regulation, and (3) a normal BMI and glucose regulation. Similarly, the multivariate-adjusted positive association between BMI and risk of type 2 diabetes was consistently observed. Obesity in subjects who reported being inactive and had normal glucose levels was associated with an increased risk of diabetes compared with a normal BMI in subjects who reported being active and had impaired glucose regulation. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing physical activity can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. The protective effect of physical activity was observed in subjects with an excessive BMI and elevated glucose levels. Physical activity and weight control are critical factors in diabetes prevention in subjects with both normal and impaired blood glucose regulation.

Blood Glucose↗
PubMed2004

Exercise protects against glucose intolerance in individuals with a small body size at birth.

BACKGROUND: Small body size at birth is a risk factor for Type 2 diabetes. We investigated whether regular exercise is related to lower rates of glucose intolerance in individuals with a small body size at birth and whether birth size affects exercise habits in adulthood. METHODS: Five hundred subjects aged 65-75 years with data on birth measurements underwent an oral glucose tolerance test. They reported their weekly exercise frequency and intensity and yearly physical leisure time activity. RESULTS: Frequent (> or = 3/week) or moderate weekly exercise and yearly physical activity were all related to lower rates of glucose intolerance. This effect was, however, dependent on birth size, being strongest among subjects with a small body size at birth (birth weight < or = 3000 g and/or ponderal index < or = 26 kg/m3). Among men, frequency (P = 0.033) and intensity (P = 0.030) of exercise as well as yearly physical activity (P = 0.005) correlated inversely with birth size. CONCLUSIONS: Subjects predisposed to Type 2 diabetes due to a small birth size are strongly protected from glucose intolerance by regular exercise. Although a small body size at birth is related to a smaller muscle mass in adulthood, men born thin exercised more in adulthood than those not born thin. In these elderly subjects this might indicate the survival of the fittest.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

The infant growth of boys who later develop coronary heart disease.

BACKGROUND: The association between low birth-weight and coronary heart disease has been repeatedly shown. Only two previous studies have examined the effects of weight gain during infancy and later coronary heart disease. AIM: The aim of this study was to assess the association between infant growth and coronary heart disease in adult life. METHODS: 2345 men born at the Helsinki City Maternity Hospital during 1934-44 with information on birth size and growth during infancy and childhood were included in the study cohort. RESULTS: There was a 3-fold fall in hazard ratios for coronary heart disease between men who weighed < or = 8 kg at 1 year and those who weighed > 12 kg (P < 0.00001). The fall was steeper among men whose placental weight at birth was below average. Men born into families with low socio-economic status had lower weight gain during infancy and higher rates of coronary heart disease. The increased risk of coronary heart disease in men who grew slowly during infancy was greatest in those who had low placental weight at birth. CONCLUSIONS: Poor infant growth and small body size at one year predict coronary heart disease more strongly than low birth-weight.

Adult↗