Genetic and epigenetic catalysts in early-life programming of adult cardiometabolic disorders.

ABSTRACT: Evidence has emerged across the past few decades that the lifetime risk of developing morbidities like type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease may be influenced by exposures that occur in utero and in childhood. Developmental abnormalities are known to occur at various stages in fetal growth. Epidemiological and mechanistic studies have sought to delineate developmental processes and plausible risk factors influencing pregnancy outcomes and later health. Whether these observations reflect causal processes or are confounded by genetic and social factors remains unclear, although animal (and some human) studies suggest that epigenetic programming events may be involved. Regardless of the causal basis to observations of early-life risk factors and later disease risk, the fact tha

SUBMITTER: Estampador AC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4257022 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature