Association of body mass index measured in childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood with risk of ischemic heart disease and stroke: findings from 3 historical cohort studies

Background: It is unclear whether early lifebody mass index (BMI; in kg/m(2)) is associated with adult cardiovascular disease. Objective: The objective was to assess the association of early life BMI with the risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke. Design: The association between early life BMI and risk of adult mortality from IHD and stroke was assessed in 3 historical cohort studies in which height and weight had been assessed by using standard procedures. Participants were traced and linked to national mortality data. Participants in the 3 cohorts were born between 1922 and 1937, 1927 and 1956, and 1928 and 1950 and were aged 2-15, 9-18, and 16-22 y, respectively, at the time of assessment of their height and weight. Results: Participants in all 3 cohorts had mean BMIs similar to those reported for contemporary children and young adults, but fewer of the cohort participants were over-weight or obese. BMI was not associated with future risk of IHD or stroke in any cohort. The pooled (all 3 cohorts) adjusted hazard ratio per SD of early life BMI was 1.09 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.19) for IHD and 0.94 (95% Cl: 0.82, 1.08) for stroke. The pooled hazard ratio of IHD when participants who were overweight or obese for their age were compared with all other participants was 1.34 (95% CI: 0.95, 1.91), and no association was found between overweight or obesity and stroke risk. The effects of BMI did not vary by cohort or by age. Conclusion: These results do not provide strong evidence that being overweight or obese in childhood is associated with future cardiovascular disease risk.