Objective-To determine whether the link suggested between growth in ut
ero and during infancy and death from cardiovascular disease in men is
also present in women. Design-Follow up study of women and men whose
birth weight and weight at 1 year of age had been recorded. Setting-He
rtfordshire, England. Subjects-5585 women and 10141 men born during 19
11-30. Main outcome measures-Standardised mortality ratios for cardiov
ascular disease. Results-Among women and men death rates from cardiova
scular disease fell progressively between the low and high birth weigh
ts groups (chi2=4.3, p=0.04 for women, chi2=8.5, p<0.005 for men). Car
diovascular deaths in men but not women were also strongly related to
weight at 1 year, falling progressively between the low and high weigh
t groups (chi2=27.5, p<0.0001). The highest cardiovascular death rates
in women were among those with below average birth weight but above a
verage weight at 1 year. In men the highest rates were among those wit
h below average birth weight and below average weight at 1 year. Concl
usion-Relations between cardiovascular disease and birth weight are si
milar in men and women. In men cardiovascular disease is also related
to weight gain in infancy.