Evidence of a Relationship Between Infant Birth Weight and Later Diabetes and Impaired Glucose Regulation in a Chinese Population

OBJECTIVE —The aim of this study was to determine the influence of birth weight, a marker of fetal growth, on the development of later impaired glucose metabolism throughout the life span of people living in China. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS —We recorded detailed anthropometric data including height, weight, and health status and measured blood glucose levels and insulin concentrations after fasting and at 120 min of a standard oral glucose tolerance test from 2,019 eligible subjects born between 1921 and 1954 to investigate the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and impaired glucose regulation (IGR). RESULTS —The diabetes and IGR groups were characterized by significantly lower birth weight ( P < 0.001), smaller head circumference ( P < 0.001), smaller ponderal index ( P = 0.007), and shorter length ( P = 0.004) compared with those in the normal glucose tolerance group. Using multiple logistic regression analysis, we observed that birth weight remained significantly associated with diabetes and IGR after adjustments for possible confounding variables at birth and in adult life such as sex, age, central obesity, smoking status, alcohol consumption, dyslipidemia, family history of diabetes, and occupational status ( P = 0.027). There was a significantly increased risk of getting diabetes and IGR for those with low birth weight (odds ratio 1.748 [95% CI 1.018–3.001], P = 0.043). CONCLUSIONS —The results confirm that lower birth weight is an independent risk factor for later diabetes or IGR and show for the first time that this risk factor also applies for a Chinese population.