Birth weight shown to be inversely related to type 2 diabetes risk
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Low birth weight is generally considered a risk factor for incident type 2 diabetes in adult life. Relevant studies published by June 2008 were identified through literature searches using EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Web of Science in order to conduct a systematic review examining published evidence on the association between birth weight and type 2 diabetes in adults. Data were obtained from 30 reports including a total of 31 populations with 152,084 subjects, of whom 6090 were diabetic patients. Negative associations between birth weight and type 2 diabetes were observed in 23 populations (significant in 9/23) and positive associations in the remaining 8 populations (significant in 2/8). The shape of the association between birth weight and type 2 diabetes was strongly graded, particularly at birth weight ≤3 kg. Adjusting for current body mass index slightly strengthened the association whereas adjusting for socioeconomic status did not materially affect the association. In conclusion, birth weight was inversely related to type 2 diabetes risk in most populations studied.
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