Child-to-adult body size change and risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease
Authors' conclusion
Low body size in childhood exacerbates the risk of type 2 diabetes associated with adult obesity but not the risk of cardiovascular disease. Thus, promoting healthy weight management from childhood to adulthood, among lean children, is crucial.
Study context
- Population
- Individuals of European ancestry free of T2D and CVD, UK Biobank; nine categories by self-reported body size at age 10 and measured adult BMI33,460 developed T2D and/or CVD
- Participants
- 364,695 individuals
- Exposure
- Child-to-adult body size categories vs average body size in both childhood and adulthood
- Outcome
- Incident T2D and CVD
- Follow-up
- Median 12.8 years
Methodological detailsUK Biobank, Cox regression
- UK Biobank
- Cox regression
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
T2D
Each group vs average child / average adultHazard ratio (95% CI)
Low child / high adulthighest risk of T2D
4.73(4.50–4.99)
High child / high adult
4.05(3.84–4.26)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
- CVD risk determined by adult body size, irrespective of childhood body size
Original publication
Child-to-adult body size change and risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Diabetologia. Published 12 December 2023. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →