Association between fetal famine exposure and risk of type 2 diabetes: a prospective cohort study

The objective of this study was to explore the effects of fetal experience of famine on the onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in adults. The analysis included 16 594 participants from the Kailuan Study who were free of diabetes at baseline (2006). According to the date of birth, the individuals born on October 1, 1962 - September 30, 1964, were divided into the non-exposed group (used as the reference group), individuals born on October 1, 1959 - September 30,1961, were divided into the fetal exposure group, and the early childhood exposure group included those born on October 1,1956 - September 30,1958. The cumulative incidence of T2DM for each group was calculated and compared among the 3 groups, and the Cox regression model was used to analyze the effects of fetal famine experience on the risk of diabetes. During a median 10.27 years (170 358 person-years) (2006-2017), 3509 incident T2DM cases were identified, with a cumulative incidence rate of 19.46%. The cumulative incidences of T2DM in the non-exposed, fetal exposure, and early childhood exposure groups were 17.38%, 20.85%, and 20.65%, respectively (P < 0.01). After adjusting for confounding factors, the hazard ratio (HR) of T2DM in the fetal exposure group was 1.222 (95% confidence interval: 1.087-1.374, P < 0.01), compared with the reference group. The association was modified by sex and hypertension (both P interaction less than 0.05). Fetal famine exposure may increase the risk of developing T2DM in adults. This association was more pronounced among women and those with hypertension. Novelty: The association was modified by sex and hypertension. Long follow-up time.

Automated summary

This study aimed to investigate the effects of fetal experience of famine on the onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in adults. The results showed that fetal famine exposure may increase the risk of developing T2DM in adults, especially among women and those with hypertension.