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Abstract
Background: In developed western populations, longer legs are a biomarker of better childhood conditions and negatively associated with cardiovascular disease risk factors. These associations are less obvious in non-western settings. However, early life is also a key immune system development phase.
Aim: To examine the associations of height, leg length, sitting height and leg length/sitting height ratio with inflammatory markers (white blood, lymphocyte and granulocyte cell counts and C-reactive protein (CRP)) in a developing population of southern China.
Subjects and methods: This study used multivariable linear regression to examine the adjusted associations in 30 499 Chinese (50+ years).
Results: Height z-score was associated with lower white blood, lymphocyte and granulocyte cell counts. Leg length z-score was associated with lower white blood, lymphocyte and granulocyte cell counts and CRP. Sitting height z-score was associated with lower white blood and granulocyte cell counts, but not with lymphocyte cell count or CRP. Leg length/sitting height ratio z-score was associated with lower white blood, lymphocyte and granulocyte cell counts and CRP.
Conclusion: Factors enabling more early growth may also lead to changes in immunity that are associated with reduced CVD risk.
Acknowledgements
The Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study investigators include: Guangzhou No. 12 Hospital: W. S. Zhang, M. Cao, T. Zhu, B. Liu, C. Q. Jiang (Co-PI); The University of Hong Kong: C. M. Schooling, S. M. McGhee, G. M. Leung, R. Fielding, T. H. Lam (Co-PI); The University of Birmingham: P. Adab, G. N. Thomas, K. K. Cheng (Co-PI). This work was supported by the University of Hong Kong Foundation for Development and Research, Hong Kong; The University of Hong Kong University Research Committee Strategic Research Theme Public Health, Hong Kong; Guangzhou Public Health Bureau and Guangzhou Science and Technology Committee, Guangzhou, China; and The University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript.
Declaration of interest
The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.