Association of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, birth size, adiposity and cardiometabolic risk factors in 7-year-old children

Autores da FMUP

• Ana Rita Duarte Santos Silva Martins Afonso

  Autor

• João Tiago De Sousa Pinto Guimarães

  Autor

• José Henrique Dias Pinto De Barros

  Autor

• Ana Cristina Correia Dos Santos

  Autor

Participantes de fora da FMUP

• Fontoura, M

Unidades de investigação

• Biomedicina

• Ciências da Saúde Pública e Forenses, e Educação Médica

• Ginecologia-Obstetrícia e Pediatria

Abstract

Background Low birth size (BS) and obesity have been associated with higher dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) levels in childhood, insulin acting as a mediator, despite contradictory findings. To further explore these issues, we studied the associations between DHEAS, BS, adiposity, maternal characteristics, and cardiometabolic risk indicators, in participants of Generation XXI, a population-based birth cohort. Methods A sample of 700 children (mean age 7.1 yr) was randomly selected. Data on maternal characteristics, BS, body mass index (BMI), waist-to-height ratio, body fat (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry), insulin, lipid profile, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were analyzed in relation to DHEAS. Results DHEAS was negatively associated with BS and positively associated with all adiposity indicators, with no sex differences. DHEAS was positively associated with insulinemia independently of the child's BS or BMI. No significant association was found between DHEAS, maternal characteristics, lipid profile, or high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. Including insulin in the model did not affect the association between BS and DHEAS but reduced the magnitude of the BMI effect by 24% for boys and 30% for girls. Conclusion Higher DHEAS levels at 7 years old were associated with lower BS and higher adiposity. DHEAS levels were positively associated with insulinemia independently of BS or BMI. Impact Low birth weight and obesity have been associated with higher dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) levels in prepuberty. Insulin has been suggested as a mediator, despite previous studies failing to show an association between DHEAS and insulin levels. In a randomly selected population of 700 7-year-old children from the Generation XXI birth cohort, higher DHEAS levels were associated with a lower birth size and higher adiposity, with no sex differences. DHEAS was positively related to insulinemia independently of the child's birth size or body mass index. No association was found between DHEAS and other cardiometabolic risk factors.

Keywords

• Adiposity; Body Mass Index; C-Reactive Protein; Cardiometabolic Risk Factors; Child; Dehydroepiandrosterone; Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; Female; Humans; Insulin; Lipids; Male; Obesity; Risk Factors; C reactive protein; insulin; prasterone sulfate; C reactive protein; insulin; lipid; prasterone; prasterone sulfate; Article; body fat; body mass; body size; cardiometabolic risk factor; child; cohort analysis; controlled study; dual energy X ray absorptiometry; female; human; human tissue; insulin level; insulinemia; lipid fingerprinting; low birth weight; major clinical study; male; obesity; prepuberty; risk assessment; school child; sensitivity analysis; sex difference; waist to height ratio; complication; risk factor