Abstract
Background and aims: There are indications for tracking of circulating total cholesterol concentration (TC) from childhood to later in life. An increased lifelong TC exposure increases the risk of developing atherosclerosis, however little is known about the determinants of TC early in life. We aimed to describe TC in Norwegian offspring aged 6, 12 and 24 months, and to explore if maternal TC, breastfeeding and offspring diet are associated with offspring TC. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, mothers of offspring aged 6 (n = 629), 12 (n = 258) and 24 (n = 263) months completed a questionnaire of the offspring's diet and took home-based dried blood spot samples from themselves and their offspring. The mothers and offspring participating at age 12 months also participated at age 6 months of the offspring. Results: Offspring TC showed a wide range in all three age groups. Twenty one percent of the offspring had TC ≥ 5.1 mmol/l. There was significant tracking of offspring TC from 6 to 12 months of age (r = 0.42, p < 0.001). Maternal and offspring TC was positively associated in all age groups (0.20 ≤ β ≤ 0.40, p < 0.001 for all). Breastfeeding was positively associated with offspring TC at ages 6 and 12 months (0.05 ≤ β ≤ 0.26, 0.001 ≤ p ≤ 0.03), but not at age 24 months. Conclusions: The wide range in TC and probable tracking of TC from infancy to later in life highlights the importance of early identification of children with elevated TC who can benefit from preventive measures.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 11-16 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Atherosclerosis |
Volume | 326 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jun 2021 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The study was supported by the University of Oslo , the National Advisory Unit on Familial Hypercholesterolemia , Oslo University Hospital , the Throne Holst Foundation for Nutrition Research , the Blix Foundation for the Promotion of Medical Research , Eckbos Legate, and the Freia Corporation Medical Fund, Norway . The external funders had no role in study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; and in the decision to submit the article for publication.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Author(s)