Weight fluctuation during childhood and cardiometabolic risk at young adulthood.

OBJECTIVES: To test the hypothesis that greater weight fluctuation between 2 and 6 years is associated with an increase in weight measures (such as body mass index [BMI]) and cardiometabolic risk in young adulthood. STUDY DESIGN: Weight fluctuation (determined by BMI SD scores) was measured at least 3 times between the ages of 2 and 6 years in 166 girls and 116 boys from the Terneuzen Birth Cohort. Cardiometabolic risk factors in young adulthood include components of the metabolic syndrome and weight. The extent of weight fluctuation was determined by assessing each individual's SE (or variation) around each individual's linear regression slope (or weight slope). The obtained variation scores were subsequently related to adult BMI, other weight measures, and cardiometabolic risk factors. RESULTS: In girls, greater weight fluctuation between 2 and 6 years was statistically significantly related to greater adult weight measures (1.08; 95% CI 1.01-1.15) and nonsignificantly with the metabolic syndrome. For boys weight fluctuation was not associated with adult weight (1.04; 95% CI 0.97-1.11), but weight slope was statistically significantly associated with adult overweight. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that weight fluctuations during early childhood are predictive for adult overweight in girls. For boys weight slope instead of weight fluctuation is predictive for adult overweight.

Childhood atopic diseases and early life circumstances: an ecological study in Cuba.

BACKGROUND: Children are especially vulnerable during periods of resource shortage such as economic embargoes. They are likely to suffer most from poor nutrition, infectious diseases, and other ensuing short-term threats. Moreover, early life circumstances can have important consequences for long-term health. We examined the relationship between early childhood exposure to the Cuban economic situation in the nineties and the occurrence of atopic diseases later in childhood. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A cross-sectional study of 1321 primary schoolchildren aged 4-14 was conducted in two Cuban municipalities. Asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and atopic dermatitis were diagnosed using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire. Children were divided into three groups of exposure to the economic situation in the nineties according to birth date: (1) unexposed; (2) exposed during infancy; (3) exposed during infancy and early childhood. Associations were assessed using multiple logistic regression models. Exposure during infancy had a significant inverse association with the occurrence of asthma (OR 0.56, 95%CI 0.33-0.94) and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (OR 0.46, 95%CI 0.25-0.85). The associations were stronger after longer exposure, i.e. during infancy and early childhood, for asthma (OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.17-0.95) and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (OR 0.29, 95%CI 0.11-0.77). No significant associations were found for atopic dermatitis. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Exposure to the economic situation in the nineties during infancy and early childhood was inversely associated with asthma and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis occurrence later in childhood. We hypothesize that factors related to this period, such as infectious diseases and undernutrition, may have an attenuating effect on atopic disease development. The exact cause and underlying mechanisms need to be further elucidated.

Actualización sobre dislipidemia y salud cardiovascular en pediatría / An update on dyslipidemia and cardiovascular health in a pediatric population

Los valores elevados de glucosa y de colesterol asociado a lipoproteínas de baja densidad (LDLc) y la baja concentración de colesterol asociado a lipoproteínas de alta densidad (HDLc) en los niños se vinculan con un alto riesgo de enfermedad cardiovascular en la vida adulta. El objetivo de este estudio fue realizar una revisión de la dislipidemia en niños de países tanto desarrollados como en vías de desarrollo durante el siglo XXI. Se llevó a cabo una búsqueda bibliográfica por computadora y se instó a algunos especialistas en el tema a que enviasen sus trabajos publicados y los aún no publicados. Dado que los factores ambientales y genéticos juegan un papel importante en el proceso de la dislipidemia aterogénica, se sostiene que los cambios del estilo de vida desde edades tempranas constituyen soluciones sustentables para alcanzar una población saludable. En este aspecto, las responsabilidades personales y familiares resultan cruciales; es necesario destacar las fallas del gobierno en ayudar y controlar los importantes factores ambientales que están llevando a nuestros niños a padecer enfermedades prematuras y una mayor mortalidad. Es necesario realizar estudios más amplios en cuanto a los criterios diagnósticos y los tratamientos de la dislipidemia en niños y adolescentes si se desea revertir el futuro de su salud cardiovascular y otras complicaciones asociadas con la dislipidemia