Effect of In Utero and Early-Life Conditions on Adult Health and Disease

Abstract

A long latency period between an environmental trigger and the onset of subsequent disease is widely recognized in the etiology of certain cancers, yet this phenomenon is not generally considered in the etiology of other conditions such as cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease, or osteoporosis. However, many lines of evidence, including epidemiologic data and data from extensive clinical and experimental studies, indicate that early life events play a powerful role in influencing later susceptibility to certain chronic diseases.