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Does birth weight predict adult serum cortisol concentrations? Twenty-four-hour profiles in the United Kingdom 1920-1930 Hertfordshire birth cohort

Does birth weight predict adult serum cortisol concentrations? Twenty-four-hour profiles in the United Kingdom 1920-1930 Hertfordshire birth cohort
Does birth weight predict adult serum cortisol concentrations? Twenty-four-hour profiles in the United Kingdom 1920-1930 Hertfordshire birth cohort
Low birth weight and weight in infancy are associated with adult insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. A proposed mechanism is programming of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis by intrauterine undernutrition, leading to persistently elevated cortisol concentrations. We examined 24-h serum cortisol profiles (samples every 20 min) in 83 healthy elderly men and women whose birth weight and infant weight were recorded.
Variables derived from these profiles included trough, peak, and area under the curve concentrations; the time of onset, rate of rise, duration, and peak of the early morning cortisol rise; postprandial secretion; and regularity of secretion (approximate entropy). None of these parameters was related to birth weight, weight at 1 yr, or change in weight SD score between birth and 1 yr. Consistent with other studies, 0730–0900 h cortisol concentrations were higher in men and women of lower birth weight, although this was not statistically significant (P = 0.08).
Our findings do not support the hypothesis that reduced intrauterine and infant growth are associated with continuously raised cortisol concentrations in old age. Programmed effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis may influence reactivity rather than resting secretion.
0021-972X
2001-2007
Fall, C.H.D.
7171a105-34f5-4131-89d7-1aa639893b18
Dennison, E.
ee647287-edb4-4392-8361-e59fd505b1d1
Cooper, C.
e05f5612-b493-4273-9b71-9e0ce32bdad6
Pringle, J.
08b19a16-1c4c-497a-b903-6f0e5d6cbca7
Kellingray, S.D.
f2c5921e-1bf4-4527-ae41-eb7aa3af6343
Hindmarsh, P.
fe35fc79-527d-472a-b0ad-9d1b6653ea5d
Fall, C.H.D.
7171a105-34f5-4131-89d7-1aa639893b18
Dennison, E.
ee647287-edb4-4392-8361-e59fd505b1d1
Cooper, C.
e05f5612-b493-4273-9b71-9e0ce32bdad6
Pringle, J.
08b19a16-1c4c-497a-b903-6f0e5d6cbca7
Kellingray, S.D.
f2c5921e-1bf4-4527-ae41-eb7aa3af6343
Hindmarsh, P.
fe35fc79-527d-472a-b0ad-9d1b6653ea5d

Fall, C.H.D., Dennison, E., Cooper, C., Pringle, J., Kellingray, S.D. and Hindmarsh, P. (2002) Does birth weight predict adult serum cortisol concentrations? Twenty-four-hour profiles in the United Kingdom 1920-1930 Hertfordshire birth cohort. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 87 (5), 2001-2007.

Record type: Article

Abstract

Low birth weight and weight in infancy are associated with adult insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. A proposed mechanism is programming of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis by intrauterine undernutrition, leading to persistently elevated cortisol concentrations. We examined 24-h serum cortisol profiles (samples every 20 min) in 83 healthy elderly men and women whose birth weight and infant weight were recorded.
Variables derived from these profiles included trough, peak, and area under the curve concentrations; the time of onset, rate of rise, duration, and peak of the early morning cortisol rise; postprandial secretion; and regularity of secretion (approximate entropy). None of these parameters was related to birth weight, weight at 1 yr, or change in weight SD score between birth and 1 yr. Consistent with other studies, 0730–0900 h cortisol concentrations were higher in men and women of lower birth weight, although this was not statistically significant (P = 0.08).
Our findings do not support the hypothesis that reduced intrauterine and infant growth are associated with continuously raised cortisol concentrations in old age. Programmed effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis may influence reactivity rather than resting secretion.

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Published date: 2002

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 25480
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/25480
ISSN: 0021-972X
PURE UUID: 72835d5a-4785-4d81-8449-7be6d8fc3b3a
ORCID for C.H.D. Fall: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-4402-5552
ORCID for E. Dennison: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-3048-4961
ORCID for C. Cooper: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-3510-0709

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Date deposited: 11 Apr 2006
Last modified: 18 Mar 2024 02:44

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Contributors

Author: C.H.D. Fall ORCID iD
Author: E. Dennison ORCID iD
Author: C. Cooper ORCID iD
Author: J. Pringle
Author: S.D. Kellingray
Author: P. Hindmarsh

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