Purpose of review: Studies have revealed a relation between birth weight (BW) and later risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). This meta-analysis aimed to report the dose-response relationship between BW and risk of CVDs.
Recent findings: The relation of BW to CVD subtypes was found to be U-shaped as BW below ~ 2500 g and above ~ 4000 g affected positively CVD risk (OR = 1.14 = 95%CI 1.03-1.27 and OR = 1.08; 95%CI 0.99-1.18, respectively). Regarding CVD subtypes, low BW was directly linked to greater risk of CHD (OR = 1.15; 95%CI 1.02-1.29) and stroke (OR = 1.28; 95% CI 1.05-1.55), while high BW was related to increased risk of arterial fibrillation in adulthood. A U-shaped nonlinear relationship was specifically demonstrated between BW and overall CVD and its subtypes. There is a U-shaped association between BW and all CVD subtypes.
Keywords: Birth weight; Cardiovascular diseases; Coronary heart disease; Meta-analysis; Myocardial infarction.