ArticlePloS one2016
Association between Birth Characteristics and Cardiovascular Autonomic Function at Mid-Life.
Article in PloS one, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 11 citations in OpenAlex.
- A systematic review to investigate whether birth weight affects the autonomic nervous system in adulthood.Revista paulista de pediatria : orgao oficial da Sociedade de Pediatria de Sao Paulo · 2023Pooled it
- The Association Between High Birth Weight and Long-Term Outcomes-Implications for Assisted Reproductive Technologies: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2021Pooled it
- Cardiac autonomic function in adults born preterm with very low birth weight in mid-adulthood-A two-country birth cohort study.Physiological reports · 2025Article
- Higher hemoglobin levels are associated with adverse heart rate variability in a middle-aged birth cohort.Physiological reports · 2025Article
- Markers of metabolic health and gut microbiome diversity: findings from two population-based cohort studies.Diabetologia · 2021Article
- Birth weight and heart rate autonomic recovery following exercise in healthy term-born adults.Scientific reports · 2021Article
- Childhood growth patterns and cardiovascular autonomic modulation in midlife: Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort Study.International journal of obesity (2005) · 2019Article
- Musculoskeletal pains and cardiovascular autonomic function in the general Northern Finnish population.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2019Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
12 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundLow birth weight is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases in adulthood. As abnormal cardiac autonomic function is a common feature in cardiovascular diseases, we tested the hypothesis that low birth weight may also be associated with poorer cardiac autonomic function in middle-aged subjects.
methodsAt the age of 46, the subjects of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 were invited to examinations including questionnaires about health status and life style and measurement of vagally-mediated heart rate variability (rMSSD) from R-R intervals (RRi) and spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) in both seated and standing positions. Maternal parameters had been collected in 1965-1966 since the 16th gestational week and birth variables immediately after delivery. For rMSSD, 1,799 men and 2,279 women without cardiorespiratory diseases and diabetes were included and 902 men and 1,020 women for BRS. The analyses were adjusted for maternal (age, anthropometry, socioeconomics, parity, gestational smoking) and adult variables (life style, anthropometry, blood pressure, glycemic and lipid status) potentially confounding the relationship between birth weight and autonomic function.
resultsIn men, birth weight correlated negatively with seated (r = -0.058, p = 0.014) and standing rMSSD (r = -0.090, p<0.001), as well as with standing BRS (r = -0.092, p = 0.006). These observations were verified using relevant birth weight categories (<2,500 g; 2,500-3,999 g; ≥4,000 g). In women, birth weight was positively correlated with seated BRS (r = 0.081, p = 0.010), but none of the other measures of cardiovascular autonomic function. These correlations remained significant after adjustment for potential confounders (p<0.05 for all).
conclusionsIn men, higher birth weight was independently associated with poorer cardiac autonomic function at mid-life. Same association was not observed in women. Our findings suggest that higher, not lower, birth weight in males may contribute to less favourable cardiovascular autonomic regulation and potentially to an elevated cardiovascular risk in later life.
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