Key result
Higher infant mortality is strongly linked to increased adult ischemic heart disease mortality decades later.
Why the study?
Ischaemic heart disease mortality rates are highest in the least affluent areas despite increasing prosperity, with unclear links to early life conditions.
Is historical infant mortality geographically associated with subsequent ischaemic heart disease mortality in England and Wales?
Observational
Yes
Is historical infant mortality geographically associated with subsequent ischaemic heart disease mortality in England and Wales?
This ecological study demonstrates a strong geographical correlation between historical infant mortality and later ischaemic heart disease, suggesting poor early-life nutrition increases susceptibility to the disease.
Although the rise in ischaemic heart disease in England and Wales has been associated with increasing prosperity, mortality rates are highest in the least affluent areas. On division of the country into two hundred and twelve local authority areas a strong geographical relation was found between ischaemic heart disease mortality rates in 1968-78 and infant mortality in 1921-25. Of the twenty-four other common causes of death only bronchitis, stomach cancer, and rheumatic heart disease were similarly related to infant mortality. These diseases are associated with poor living conditions and mortality from them is declining. Ischaemic heart disease is strongly correlated with both neonatal and postneonatal mortality. It is suggested that poor nutrition in early life increases susceptibility to the effects of an affluent diet.
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David J.P. Barker (1986) conducted an observational in Ischaemic heart disease. Infant mortality (1921-1925) was evaluated on Ischaemic heart disease mortality rates (1968-1978). Infant mortality in 1921-1925 was strongly correlated with ischaemic heart disease mortality in 1968-1978 across 212 local authority areas, suggesting early poor nutrition increases risk.