We propose a pilot follow-up to the 1982 Heartwatch Study, a cross-sectional study in Marshfield, WI of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in 3106 children. Marshfield is unique in that it is an isolated, rural community, but with access to a single, major medical center, providing a rich body of data over time.
Specific aims of this study are: 1) to demonstrate our ability to reassemble a cohort of the 1982 population. To accomplish this goal we will a) locate members of the original cohort;and b) describe the sub-group of participants in the follow-up cohort;and 2) to determine the relationship between childhood weight status per se and pre-clinical CVD during young adulthood among members of the Heartwatch cohort. To accomplish this goal we will test the hypothesis that childhood OW/at risk for OW per se is associated with increased incidence of pre-clinical CVD in young adults, independent of the effect of adult obesity on disease. To test this hypothesis we will conduct a clinical exam including measurement of height, weight, waist and hip circumference, BP, ankle- brachial index and fasting lipid and lipoprotein measurements. This RO3 will provide unique, longitudinal knowledge of the relationship between weight status and CVD risk, in childhood versus adulthood, in a well-characterized, established cohort. Furthermore, by confirming our ability to recruit a sub-group of the 1982 cohort and by providing preliminary data on the relationship between pre-clinical CVD and childhood weight status in this cohort, we will lay the foundation for future applications in which we will propose to study potential mechanisms, such as the role of obesity-induced inflammation, in contributing to the adverse health effects of childhood overweight. Ultimately, this information will help in designing targeted interventions to prevent childhood overweight and associated diseases. Obesity has become a national public health priority, reaching epidemic proportions among both adults and children. It is critically important to conduct studies aimed at 1) elucidating the health consequences of obesity and 2) understanding when these health effects begin to develop. The currently proposed study will address the issue of whether childhood overweight per se is associated with an increased incidence of pre-clinical cardiovascular disease among young adults, independent of the effect of adult obesity. Results from this study will set the stage for future research into the long-term health consequences of childhood overweight.
| Sundaram, M E; Berg, R L; Economos, C et al. (2014) The relationship between childhood BMI and adult serum cholesterol, LDL, and ankle brachial index. Clin Med Res 12:33-9 |
