Research

Dutch women with a low birth weight have an increased risk of myocardial infarction later in life: a case control study

Bea C Tanis¹ , Kitty Kapiteijn² , Ronella M Hage² , Frits R Rosendaal^1,3 and Frans M Helmerhorst²

¹Department of Hematology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

²Department of Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands

³Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands

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Reproductive Health 2005, 2:1doi:10.1186/1742-4755-2-1

Published:	10 January 2005

Abstract

Background

To investigate whether low birth weight increases the risk of myocardial infarction later in life in women.

Methods

Nationwide population-based case-control study. Patients and controls: 152 patients with a first myocardial infarction before the age of 50 years in the Netherlands. 568 control women who had not had a myocardial infarction stratified for age, calendar year of the index event, and area of residence.

Results

Birth weight in the patient group was significantly lower than in control women (3214 vs. 3370 gram, mean difference -156.3 gram (95%CI -9.5 to -303.1). The odds ratio for myocardial infarction, associated with a birth weight lower than 3000 gram (20^th percentile in controls) compared to higher than 3000 gram was 1.7 (95%CI 1.1–2.7), while the odds ratio for myocardial infarction for children with a low birth weight (< 2000 g) compared to a birth weight ≥ 2000 g was 2.4 (95%CI 1.0 – 5.8). Both figures did not change after adjustment for putative confounders (age, education level, body mass index, waist-hip ratio, hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, smoking, and family history of cardiovascular disease).

Conclusions

Low birth weight is associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction before age of 50 in Dutch women.