Endocrine Abstracts

Epidemiologic studies support a relationship of lower birth weight with later disease- particularly type 2 diabetes. These findings may reflect either the influence of environmental factors before birth to influence risk of later disease (in utero programming) or pleiotropic genetic effects. In high risk populations, notably the Pima Indians of Southern Arizona, both low and high birth weight are associated with later risk of type 2 diabetes. In addition, long term foll...