Plasma lipids, phospholipid fatty acids and indices of glycaemia in 10-year-old children born as small-for-gestational-age or preterm infants

Low birthweight has been epidemiologically associated with unfavourable pla sma lipid profiles and enhanced risk of cardiovascular morbidity in adultho od. Plasma lipids, lipoprotein cholesterols. apolipoproteins. fatty acid co mposition of plasma phospholipids and basic indices of glycaemia were inves tigated in 10-y-old children born with similarly low birthweights as small- for-gestational-age (SGA; n = 16) or preterm infants (n = 16). Plasma total cholesterol (4.32 +/- 0.57 vs 4.60 +/- 0.52, mmol l(-1), mean +/- SD, SGA vs preterm subjects), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (2.54 +/- 0.51 vs 2. 65 +/- 0.51) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (1.61 +/- .0.25 v s 1.76 +/- 0.18) concentrations did not differ between the 2 groups. There was no difference in plasma triacylglycerol, apolipoprotein A-I and B, insu lin and glucose concentrations or phospholipid fatty acid values. There was no correlation between indices of lipid and carbohydrate metabolism. In co nclusion, plasma lipid profiles and basic indices of glycaemia are not diff erent in 10-y-old children born with similarly low birthweights as SGA or p reterm infants.