Life-course study on cardiovascular diseases: interaction between birth markers and behavioral health patterns

The risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) starts in early life and accumulates across life course. So far, early-life factors and growth have not been considered in clinical management or prevention of CVDs.

Questions remain to be answered regarding whether and to what extent changes in health behaviors in adulthood can modify the risk of CVDs that originates during early life. This project aims to fill this knowledge gap in the aetiology of CVDs from a life-course perspective.

Specifically, the project aims to determine the risk and progression of CVDs in association with the interaction between adverse early-life growth and behavioral health patterns during adulthood. Analyses will be based on a population-based cohort, i.e., the Stockholm Public Health Cohort (SPHC, n=15514).

Information on early-life exposures and birth markers will be identified from Medical Birth Register, health behaviors will be identified from questionnaires, and incidence of CVDs and health-care utilizations due to CVDs will be identified from the Swedish health registers (e.g., National Patient Register, Prescribed Drug Register and Cause of Death Register).

Findings are expected to help the public health workers to facilitate the individualized cardiovascular prevention programs to reduce the risk and burden of CVDs by taking into account the risk factors over life course.