Health Across the Lifecourse Flashcards
1
Q
What is the ‘Barker Hypothesis’?
A
Intrauterine growth retardation, low birth weight, and premature birth have a causal relationship to the origins of hypertension, coronary heart disease, and non-insulin-dependent diabetes, in middle age
2
Q
Outline the findings from the Dutch famine
A
Prenatal exposure to famine, especially during late gestation, is linked to decreased glucose tolerance in adults.
It is associated with lower methylation of the IGF2 DMR 6 region (increased expression)
3
Q
How does methylation affect gene expression?
A
Increased methylation - switches gene off
Decreased methylation - increases gene expression
