The thrifty phenotype and related developmental hypotheses

2019 ◽  
pp. 87-121
Author(s):  
Raj S. Bhopal
Keyword(s):  
Infant Development ◽  
South Asians ◽  
Critical Factor ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Migrant Populations ◽  
Fat Depots ◽  
Thrifty Phenotype ◽  
Disease Outcomes ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Rich Countries

The developmental origins of health and disease (DOHAD) hypothesis proposes that impairment of fetal and infant development leads to lasting, perhaps permanent, changes in organ structure, body composition, and metabolism. The critical factor, however, is thought to be dysadaptation, whereby the environmental circumstances in later life do not match those the person is programmed for. This kind of mismatch is particularly likely in migrant populations leaving rural parts of South Asia (where nutrition is sometimes limited) and settling in affluent, nutrition-rich countries. South Asian babies are born small but with relatively well-preserved fat depots, especially on the torso and intra-abdominally. This relative central preservation of fat is a characteristic that remains through life. The thrifty phenotype and related hypotheses attribute it to fetal and early life growth and development. The empirical evidence suggests, however, a modest role for these ideas in explaining disease outcomes in South Asians in adulthood.

The establishment of DOHaD working groups in Australia and New Zealand

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 433-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. L. Prescott ◽  
K. Allen ◽  
K. Armstrong ◽  
C. Collins ◽  
H. Dickinson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Developmental Origins ◽  
Effect Change ◽  
Cohort Group ◽  
Disease Outcomes ◽  
Working Groups ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Translational Strategies ◽  
The Impact

The evidence underpinning the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) is overwhelming. As the emphasis shifts more towards interventions and the translational strategies for disease prevention, it is important to capitalize on collaboration and knowledge sharing to maximize opportunities for discovery and replication. DOHaD meetings are facilitating this interaction. However, strategies to perpetuate focussed discussions and collaborations around and between conferences are more likely to facilitate the development of DOHaD research. For this reason, the DOHaD Society of Australia and New Zealand (DOHaD ANZ) has initiated themed Working Groups, which convened at the 2014–2015 conferences. This report introduces the DOHaD ANZ Working Groups and summarizes their plans and activities. One of the first Working Groups to form was the ActEarly birth cohort group, which is moving towards more translational goals. Reflecting growing emphasis on the impact of early life biodiversity – even before birth – we also have a Working Group titled Infection, inflammation and the microbiome. We have several Working Groups exploring other major non-cancerous disease outcomes over the lifespan, including Brain, behaviour and development and Obesity, cardiovascular and metabolic health. The Epigenetics and Animal Models Working Groups cut across all these areas and seeks to ensure interaction between researchers. Finally, we have a group focussed on ‘Translation, policy and communication’ which focusses on how we can best take the evidence we produce into the community to effect change. By coordinating and perpetuating DOHaD discussions in this way we aim to enhance DOHaD research in our region.

Developmental origins of health and disease

2018 ◽  
pp. 36-39
Author(s):  
Caroline Fall ◽  
Kalyanaraman Kumaran
Keyword(s):  
Early Life ◽  
Infant Development ◽  
Animal Experiments ◽  
Environmental Pollutants ◽  
Adult Life ◽  
Maternal Diabetes ◽  
Observational Research ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
And Function

Sub-optimal nutrition during foetal and infant development is associated with an increased risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in adult life. Animal experiments show that this results from permanent effects on the structure and function of tissues and hormone systems (‘metabolic programming’), probably mediated by epigenetic changes. NCD risk is increased further by adiposity and/or unhealthy lifestyles in childhood or adulthood. Apart from nutrition, other early life environmental influences can programme later disease, including foetal ‘over-nutrition’ (maternal diabetes or obesity) and exposure to maternal smoking, environmental pollutants, and pregnancy complications. The concept that improving the nutrition and health of mothers pre-conceptionally and during pregnancy could prevent common NCDs has huge public health implications. However, unlike the robust demonstration of programming in experimental animals, the evidence in humans rests mainly on observational research. Intervention studies are ongoing to strengthen the evidence and to identify ways to improve early development and prevent NCDs.

scholarly journals Mendelian randomization study of maternal influences on birthweight and future cardiometabolic risk in the HUNT cohort

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gunn-Helen Moen ◽  
Ben Brumpton ◽  
Cristen Willer ◽  
Bjørn Olav Åsvold ◽  
Kåre I. Birkeland ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Cardiometabolic Risk ◽  
Genetic Risk Score ◽  
Genetic Effect ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Cardiometabolic Risk Factors ◽  
Cardiometabolic Disease ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Lower Birthweight

Abstract There is a robust observational relationship between lower birthweight and higher risk of cardiometabolic disease in later life. The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) hypothesis posits that adverse environmental factors in utero increase future risk of cardiometabolic disease. Here, we explore if a genetic risk score (GRS) of maternal SNPs associated with offspring birthweight is also associated with offspring cardiometabolic risk factors, after controlling for offspring GRS, in up to 26,057 mother–offspring pairs (and 19,792 father–offspring pairs) from the Nord-Trøndelag Health (HUNT) Study. We find little evidence for a maternal (or paternal) genetic effect of birthweight associated variants on offspring cardiometabolic risk factors after adjusting for offspring GRS. In contrast, offspring GRS is strongly related to many cardiometabolic risk factors, even after conditioning on maternal GRS. Our results suggest that the maternal intrauterine environment, as proxied by maternal SNPs that influence offspring birthweight, is unlikely to be a major determinant of adverse cardiometabolic outcomes in population based samples of individuals.

scholarly journals The Gut Ecosystem: A Critical Player in Stroke

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosa Delgado Jiménez ◽  
Corinne Benakis
Keyword(s):  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Critical Factor ◽  
Intestinal Microbiome ◽  
Brain Disorders ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Brain Stroke ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Improve Patient

AbstractThe intestinal microbiome is emerging as a critical factor in health and disease. The microbes, although spatially restricted to the gut, are communicating and modulating the function of distant organs such as the brain. Stroke and other neurological disorders are associated with a disrupted microbiota. In turn, stroke-induced dysbiosis has a major impact on the disease outcome by modulating the immune response. In this review, we present current knowledge on the role of the gut microbiome in stroke, one of the most devastating brain disorders worldwide with very limited therapeutic options, and we discuss novel insights into the gut-immune-brain axis after an ischemic insult. Understanding the nature of the gut bacteria-brain crosstalk may lead to microbiome-based therapeutic approaches that can improve patient recovery.

scholarly journals Current status of stroke in Qatar: Including data from the BRAINS study

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 204800401986916 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ebrima Jallow ◽  
Hassan Al Hail ◽  
Thang S Han ◽  
Sapna Sharma ◽  
Dirk Deleu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Migrant Worker ◽  
South Asians ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Eastern Coast ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Migrant Populations ◽  
The North ◽  
Incidence And Mortality ◽  
Majority Population

Background Qatar is located on the north-eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Qatari natives account for less than 15% of the population while the largest migrant group comprising 60% derives from South Asia. Despite projections that stroke burden in Qatar will increase with population ageing, epidemiological studies focusing on stroke in Qatar are relatively scarce. Method We reviewed the available epidemiological publications relating to Qatar. In addition, we have added to this knowledge by incorporating Qatari data from the on-going Bio-Repository of DNA in Stroke, an independent multinational database of stroke patients. Results Qatar has low reported incidence and mortality rates of 58 and 9.17 per 100,000 per year, respectively, which may be explained by its middle-aged migrant worker majority population. Correspondingly, South Asian migrants in Qatar suffered younger strokes than Qatari natives (48.7 vs 63.4 years, P < 0.001). Among the most common risk factors identified in stroke patients were hypertension (77.9%), diabetes (43.8%) and hypercholesterolemia (28.5%). Ischaemic stroke was the most frequent subtype amongst migrant South Asians (71.1%). The majority of stroke cases had computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging scans, but only 11.1% of ischaemic strokes were thrombolysed. Qataris on one-year follow up were more often found to have died (6.5% vs 0.3%) and had further stroke/transient ischaemic attack events (17.4% vs 6.4%, P = 0.009) compared to South Asians. Conclusion The burden of stroke is increasing in Qatar, and considerable disparities are observed between the native and migrant populations which likely will require different approaches to management by its healthcare system.

Searching the web: a survey on the quality of advice on postnatal sequelae of intrauterine growth restriction and the implication of developmental origins of health and disease

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 604-612 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Perzel ◽  
H. Huebner ◽  
W. Rascher ◽  
C. Menendez-Castro ◽  
A. Hartner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intrauterine Growth Restriction ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Growth Restriction ◽  
Developmental Origins ◽  
Intrauterine Growth ◽  
Growing Body ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
The Individual

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and fetal growth restriction (FGR) are pregnancy complications associated with morbidity in later life. Despite a growing body of evidence from current research on developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD), little information is currently provided to parents on long-term metabolic, cardiovascular and neurologic consequences. As parents strongly rely on internet-based health-related information, we examined the quality of information on IUGR/FGR sequelae and DOHaD in webpages used by laypersons. Simulating non-clinicians experience, we entered the terms ‘IUGR consequences’ and ‘FGR consequences’ into Google and Yahoo search engines. The quality of the top search-hits was analyzed with regard to the certification through the Health On the Net Foundation (HON), currentness of cited references, while reliability of information and DOHaD-related consequences were assessed via the DISCERN Plus score (DPS). Overall the citation status was not up-to-date and only a few websites were HON-certified. The results of our analysis showed a dichotomy between the growing body of evidence regarding IUGR/FGR-related sequelae and lack of current guidelines, leaving parents without clear directions. Furthermore, detailed information on the concept of DOHaD is not provided. These findings emphasize the responsibility of the individual physician for providing advice on IUGR/FGR-related sequelae, monitoring and follow-up.

scholarly journals Global economy and its sustainability in the globalized world

2020 ◽  
Vol 74 ◽  
pp. 04008
Author(s):  
Jorma Jaakko Imppola
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Critical Factor ◽  
Poor People ◽  
Poor Countries ◽  
Global Sustainability ◽  
Distribution Of Wealth ◽  
The Rich ◽  
Rich Countries ◽  
Globalized World

Globalized economy has changed the whole world both in good and in bad. The changes in economy have significant impact on the everyday life, which affect practically everyone. Because the economy, monetary systems and financial markets form the operational platform of the globalized world, it is necessary to understand their role. As the economy is one of the three main pillars of the sustainability, it is impossible to develop the global sustainability without stabile and sustainable economy. The inequality of the distribution of wealth and prosperity is the most critical factor of economic sustainability and the ever-increasing accumulation of wealth and money is one of the most crucial factors jeopardising the global sustainability. People and nations struggling economically are usually having the biggest challenges with both social and environmental sustainability. Wealth works dually: it enables rich people and nations to increase their consumption footprint and they hinder poor people and nations to make consumer decisions and investments needed to improve sustainability. The rich countries have outsourced their unsustainable industrial activities to poor countries having undeveloped legislation and maximized their profits by utilising these socially and ecologically unsustainable labour and production practises, which most are illegal in the rich countries.

scholarly journals Perinatal Use of Melatonin for Offspring Health: Focus on Cardiovascular and Neurological Diseases

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (22) ◽  
pp. 5681 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chien-Ning Hsu ◽  
Li-Tung Huang ◽  
You-Lin Tain
Keyword(s):  
Fetal Development ◽  
Animal Studies ◽  
Neurological Diseases ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Developmental Programming ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Pregnancy And Lactation ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Offspring Health ◽  
In Pregnancy

Cardiovascular and neurological diseases can originate in early life. Melatonin, a biologically active substance, acts as a pleiotropic hormone essential for pregnancy and fetal development. Maternal melatonin can easily pass the placenta and provide photoperiodic signals to the fetus. Though melatonin uses in pregnant or lactating women have not yet been recommended, there is a growing body of evidence from animal studies in support of melatonin as a reprogramming strategy to prevent the developmental programming of cardiovascular and neurological diseases. Here, we review several key themes in melatonin use in pregnancy and lactation within offspring health and disease. We have particularly focused on the following areas: the pathophysiological roles of melatonin in pregnancy, lactation, and fetal development; clinical uses of melatonin in fetal and neonatal diseases; experimental evidence supporting melatonin as a reprogramming therapy to prevent cardiovascular and neurological diseases; and reprogramming mechanisms of melatonin within developmental programming. The targeting of melatonin uses in pregnancy and lactation will be valuable in the prevention of various adult chronic diseases in later life, and especially cardiovascular and neurological diseases.

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