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Objective-To discover whether reduced fetal and infant growth is associated with non-insulin dependent diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance in adult life.Design (0/24). Plasma glucose concentrations at 30 and 120 minutes fell with increasing birth weight and weight at 1 year. Plasma 32-33 split proinsulin concentration fell with increasing weight at 1 year. All these trends were significant and independent of current body mass. Blood pressure was inversely related to birth weight and strongly related to plasma glucose and 32-33 split proinsulin concentrations.Conclusions-Reduced growth in early life is strongly linked with impaired glucose tolerance and non-insulin dependent diabetes. Reduced early growth is also related to a raised plasma concentration of 32-33 split proinsulin, which is interpreted as a sign of 13 cell dysfunction. Reduced intrauterine growth is linked with high blood pressure, which may explain the association between hypertension and impaired glucose tolerance.

Objective To examine whether catch-up growth during childhood modifies the increased risk of death from coronary heart disease that is associated with reduced intrauterine growth. Design Follow up study of men whose body size at birth was recorded and who had an average of 10 measurements taken of their height and weight through childhood. Setting Helsinki, Finland. Subjects 3641 men who were born in Helsinki University Central Hospital during 1924-33 and who went to school in Helsinki. Main outcome measures Hazard ratios for death from coronary heart disease. Results Death from coronary heart disease was associated with low birth weight and, more strongly, with a low ponderal index at birth. Men who died from coronary heart disease had an above average body mass index at all ages from 7 to 15 years. In a simultaneous regression the hazard ratio for death from the disease increased by 14% (95% confidence interval 8% to 19%; P < 0.0001) for each unit (kg/m 3 ) decrease in ponderal index at birth and by 22% (10% to 36%; P = 0.0001) for each unit (kg/m 2