THE FETAL ORIGINS OF CORONARY HEART-DISEASE

Animal studies have shown that undernutrition before birth programmes persisting changes in a range of metabolic, physiological and structur al parameters. Studies in humans have shown that men and women whose b irthweights were at the lower end of the normal range, who were thin o r short at birth or small in relation to placental size have increased rates of coronary heart disease, We are beginning to understand somet hing of the mechanisms underlying these associations.