Waist-to-Height Gain and Triiodothyronine Concentrations in a Cohort of Socially Vulnerable Short-Stature Women: A Four-Year Follow-Up Study

• Published in: Annals of nutrition and metabolism 2016-01, Vol.68 (4), p.298-305
• Main Authors: Florêncio, Telma M.M.T., Bueno, Nassib B., Britto, Revilane A.P., Albuquerque, Fabiana C.A., Lins, Isabela L.L., Sawaya, Ana L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Anthropometry; Biochemistry; Body Mass Index; Body weight; Brazil - epidemiology; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular diseases; Children; Cohort Studies; Comorbidity; Covariance; Diabetes; Diabetes mellitus; Diet; Dietary intake; Female; Growth Disorders - blood; Growth Disorders - epidemiology; Growth Disorders - etiology; Health risks; Heart diseases; Height; Humans; Hypothyroidism - epidemiology; Longitudinal Studies; Malnutrition; Malnutrition - physiopathology; Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Nutrition; Original Paper; Overweight - epidemiology; Population studies; Populations; Pregnancy; Prospective Studies; Risk; Risk assessment; Social psychology; Socioeconomic Factors; Thyroid hormones; Triiodothyronine; Triiodothyronine - blood; Type 2 diabetes; Vulnerable Populations; Waist-Height Ratio; Weight Gain; Women; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0250-6807; 1421-9697
• DOI: 10.1159/000447499

Background: Short stature that results from undernourishment during perinatal period is associated with an increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases in adulthood, particularly in poor populations. The present study investigated changes on anthropometric and metabolic parameters of socially vulnerable women with short stature. Methods: A prospective study with 48 women (19-45 years) who were mothers of undernourished children was conducted. Twenty-five of them were short (height ≤150 cm), and 23 were not short, to serve as a control (height >159 cm). Biochemical, anthropometric and dietary intake data were collected, before and after 4 years of follow-up. A mixed within-between analysis of covariance was used to assess the interaction between ‘group' and ‘time'. Results: Waist-to-height ratio increased only in the short stature group, with significant interaction (+0.03 ± 0.03 in short group vs. +0.01 ± 0.03 in control; p for interaction = 0.04). The short stature group showed a significant decrease in the plasma triiodothyronine (T3) concentrations, without significant interaction (-0.16 ± 0.23 ng/ml in short group vs. -0.04 ± 0.29 ng/ml in control; p for interaction = 0.20). Conclusion: Women of short stature presented an increase in waist-to-height ratio, with a simultaneous decrease in total plasma T3. These alterations may lead them to increased risk of comorbidities.