Relation of birth weight, body mass index, and change in size from birth to adulthood to insulin resistance in a female twin cohort

Because an adverse intrauterine environment is thought to induce insulin resistance, our objective was to investigate the relationships between birth weight, BMI, and change in body size over the life course and insulin resistance. SETTING, DESIGN, AND PARTICIPANTS: We conducted a cross-sectional study in a cohort of 1194 female twins aged 18-74 yr. The relationship between birth weight and insulin resistance was analyzed using a regression method allowing for a simultaneous estimation of within- and between-pair influences. The approach allows the influence of individual fetal nutrition on adult insulin resistance to be distinguished from effects that are mediated by confounding factors in the maternal environment