In the LRC study, there were 1465 subjects eligible for the PFS, and 909 subjects were studied in PFS 26 years later (follow-up rate 62%). Of these 909 subjects, complete data (required for the resultant logistic model) was available in 770 (85%), Table . Compared with the 695 eligible subjects not included in the current report, BMI was higher in the sampled group (20.1 ± 4.3 vs 19.2 ± 4.2 kg/m2, p < .0001), but there were no differences (p > 0.05) in TG, HDLC, LDLC, SBP and DBP at the LRC visit. In the sampled group, percent white was higher 73% vs 66% (p = .008), and percent male was lower 46% vs 57% (p < .0001).
| Table 1Risk factors for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus, measured during childhood (LRC) and 26 years later in young adulthood (PFS) in 770 subjects |
Pediatric and adult CVD risk factor measures 26 years later were highly correlated, Table . Twenty-six of the 770 subjects (3.4%) were taking cholesterol-lowering medications at their PFS visit, Table . Excluding their LDLC values from the analyses of correlations between LRC and PFS did not appreciably affect the correlation coefficients, Table . After adjusting for BMI at mean ages 12 and 38, age 12 and age 38 risk factors remained closely correlated, Table .
High TG in childhood retained into adulthood characterized the 19 subjects who had CVD in adulthood, while normal TG at both visits characterized the 751 subjects free of CVD at the PFS visit, Figure . There were 55 subjects with high TG at both visits, of whom 8 (14.6%) had CVD compared to 5 of 490 with normal TG at both visits (1%) for a risk ratio of 14.6 to 1, Figure , Table . The incidence of CVD was 1.9% in subjects with high TG at LRC but normal TG at PFS, and 2.9% in subjects with normal TG at LRC but high TG at PFS. Thus, there was a linear trend for CVD across the four TG classification groups (p < .0001), Table .
| Table 2Incidence rate (%) of cardiovascular disease (CVD) by triglyceride (TG) and BMI classification in childhood and adulthood and of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) by blood pressure and triglyceride classification in childhood and adulthood |
Normal BMI in childhood retained into adulthood characterized the 751 subjects free of CVD at the PFS visit, while high BMI in childhood retained into adulthood characterized the 19 subjects who had adult CVD, Figure . There were 113 subjects with high BMI at both visits, of whom 7 (6.2%) had CVD and 427 with normal BMI at both visits of whom 4 had CVD (0.9%) for a risk ratio of 6.9 to 1. The incidence of CVD was 2.5% in subjects with high BMI at LRC but normal BMI at PFS, and 4.0% in subjects with normal BMI at LRC but high TG at PFS. Thus, there was a linear trend for CVD across the four BMI classification groups (p = .0005), .
High blood pressure retained from childhood to adulthood was much more common in the 29 subjects who had adult T2DM (28%) than in the 417 free of adult T2DM (5%), while normal childhood blood pressure retained into adulthood characterized the 417 subjects free of T2DM at the PFS visit (65%), Figure . The incidence of T2DM was 28.6% in subjects with high BP at LRC and PFS compared to 3.6% in subjects with normal BP at both LRC and PFS, for a relative risk of 8 to 1. The one of 22 subjects with high BP at LRC but normal BP at PFS did have T2DM so the incidence rate was 4.6%. In subjects with normal BP at LRC but high BP at PFS the incidence of T2DM was 8.6%. Thus, there was a linear trend for T2DM across the four BP classification groups (p < .0001), Table .
High TG retained from childhood to adulthood was much more common in subjects who developed T2DM as adults (31%) than in those free of T2DM (6%), Figure . The incidence of T2DM was 27.3% in subjects with high TG at LRC and PFS compared to 3.8% in subjects with normal TG at both LRC and PFS, for a relative risk of 7.1. No person with high TG at LRC but normal TG at PFS had T2DM, incidence rate = 0.0%. In subjects with normal TG at LRC but high TG at PFS the incidence of T2DM was 9.6%. Thus, there was a linear trend for T2DM across the four TG change classification groups (p < .0001), Table .
By stepwise logistic regression, adult CVD (19 yes, 751 no) was independently and significantly associated with high childhood TG retained adulthood (p = .0005) and with age at follow-up (p = .0009), and was inversely associated with normal BMI from childhood retained into adulthood, p = .02, Table .
| Table 3Childhood (LRC) and adulthood (PFS) predictors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) at PFS |
Adult T2DM (29 yes, 417 no) was associated with BP and TG high in childhood and retained into adulthood (p = .0006, .003), with childhood glucose (p = .006), with adult age (p = .002), and with black race (p = .04), Table .
Adult IFG (88 yes, 617 no) was positively associated with adult BP and TG (high vs not high), p < .0001, p = .0009, respectively, and with cigarette smoking, p = .018, Table .
Neither pediatric nor young adult LDLC was associated with young adult CVD, p > .05.