Growth spurts tied to lower cholesterol later

NEW YORK, Mar 8 (Reuters) Middle-aged adults who'd had the greatest growth spurts by age two generally had lower levels of total cholesterol and ''bad'' LDL cholesterol. The same was true of those who'd shot up in height after the age of 15, researchers report in the Journal of Epidemiology&Community Health.

They say the findings, from a study of British adults who'd been followed from birth to age 53, suggest that some early-life factor -- such as nutrition, infections or stress -- may affect both height and future cholesterol levels.

''All babies need a good uterine environment to prosper, and if anything affects this, such as poor nutrition, stress or infection, then the fetus must adapt and make changes in growth and metabolism in order to survive,'' explained study leader Dr Paula Skidmore of the University of East Anglian Norwich.

It's possible that these changes include a slow-down in the development of the liver, which could then affect lifelong cholesterol production, she told Reuters Health.

The findings come from 2,311 men and women whose health had been tracked since their birth in 1946; each participant's height and body mass index (BMI) -- a measure of weight in relaion to height -- were recorded at ages 2, 4, 7, 11, 15, 36 and 53.

Overall, the study found, the faster a child grew before age two, the lower his or her cholesterol at age 53. The patrn was similar when the researchers looked at growth after age 15.

However, growth in the waistline showed the opposite effect. The more pounds study participants packed on after age 15, the higher their LDL and the lower their ''good'' HDL cholesterol in middle-age.

As for why height attainment after age 15 was related to lower cholesterol, it may have to do with later puberty, according to the researchers. Some evidence suggests that children who go through puberty relatively early have a poorer diet and exercise less; so a later puberty may reflect better lifelong diet and exercise habits.

In all, the findings ''highlight the importance of good health and nutrition throughout the life course,'' Skidmore said. That meas not only avoiding excessive weight gain in adulthood, but having proper nutrition from the womb onward, she noted.

''It is vital that parents are aware of the importance of nutrition in pregnancy and in the early years of childhood, in particular,'' Skidmore said. Children should also be taught about nutrition and encouraged to eat a healthful diet as they grow older, she added.

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