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Journal of Huntington's Disease 2020The gene (Huntingtin or HTT) causing Huntington's disease (HD) is vital for development and is expressed throughout the brain and body lifelong. The mutant form (mHTT)...
BACKGROUND
The gene (Huntingtin or HTT) causing Huntington's disease (HD) is vital for development and is expressed throughout the brain and body lifelong. The mutant form (mHTT) may influence growth and development.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the impact of mHTT on human measures of growth, including height, weight, and body mass index (BMI), between child and adolescent carriers of mHTT and control peers.
METHODS
Children ages 6-18 years of age (n = 186) at risk for HD were enrolled in the KidsHD study. For research purposes only, genetic testing was performed to classify participants as Gene-Expanded (GE = 78) or as Gene Non-Expanded (GNE = 108). Outcome measures included height, weight, and body mass index (BMI). Mixed models were used to determine if non-linear age trends differed between groups for BMI, height, and weight.
RESULTS
Differences were seen in the trajectory of BMI in which the GE group reached a plateau in late adolescence with no further increase, compared with a nearly linear increase in the GNE group. There was a significant sex interaction pattern where GE males were taller than GNE males in adolescence, in the presence of similar weight. In contrast, GE females weighed significantly less than their GNE counterparts in adolescence, in the presence of similar height.
CONCLUSION
Measures of growth are abnormal in child and adolescent carriers of mHTT, decades before HD onset. Although further studies are needed for replication, the current findings suggest that developmental aberrations may be systemic and a vital part of disease pathology.
Topics: Adolescent; Adolescent Development; Body Height; Body Mass Index; Body Weight; Child; Child Development; Female; Humans; Huntingtin Protein; Male; Risk; Sex Factors
PubMed: 32894247
DOI: 10.3233/JHD-200407 -
Proceedings. Biological Sciences Feb 2019The massive global variation in caesarean-section (C-section) rate is usually attributed to socio-economic, medical and cultural heterogeneity. Here, we show that a...
The massive global variation in caesarean-section (C-section) rate is usually attributed to socio-economic, medical and cultural heterogeneity. Here, we show that a third of the global variance in current national C-section rate can be explained by the trends of adult body height from the 1970s to the 1990s. In many countries, living conditions have continually improved during the last century, which has led to an increase in both fetal and adult average body size. As the fetus is one generation ahead of the mother, the fetus is likely to experience better environmental conditions during development than the mother did, causing a disproportionately large fetus and an increased risk of obstructed labour. A structural equation model revealed that socio-economic development and access to healthcare affect C-section rate via multiple causal pathways, but the strongest direct effect on C-section rate was body height change. These results indicate that the historical trajectory of socio-economic development affects-via its influence on pre- and postnatal growth-the intergenerational relationship between maternal and fetal dimensions and thus the difficulty of labour. This sheds new light on historic and prehistoric transitions of childbirth and questions the World Health Organization (WHO) suggestion for a global 'ideal' C-section rate.
Topics: Body Height; Cesarean Section; Humans; Models, Biological
PubMed: 30963921
DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.2425 -
Economics and Human Biology May 2021Adult body height appears to be significantly associated with marital outcomes: taller men across contexts have been found to be more likely to be married, and more...
Adult body height appears to be significantly associated with marital outcomes: taller men across contexts have been found to be more likely to be married, and more likely to be married at younger ages. We are interested in exploring both outcomes individually and simultaneously, while using an unique, individual-level dataset of Dutch men and their brothers born between 1841 and 1900. To do so, we exploit survival models and cure models. While survival models yield a single estimate for the hazard (or age at) marriage, cure models yield two: one for the likelihood of marriage, and one for the hazard of first marriage. Cure models thus account for selection into marriage, while survival models do not. We find that, in the survival analyses, being in the shortest 20 % of heights is associated with later ages of marriage, relative to being average height. However, when we account for selection into marriage with cure models, we find that height is no longer associated with age at marriage. Instead, we see that height is associated with the likelihood of being married, with being in the bottom 20 % of heights associated with a 56.1 % decreased likelihood of being married, relative to being average height. We therefore conclude that height may be a gatekeeper for access to marriage, but it appears that other factors - likely related to the ability to set up an independent household - are more important in determining the timing of marriage for our research population.
Topics: Adult; Body Height; Humans; Male; Netherlands
PubMed: 33482603
DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2020.100970 -
Gait & Posture Sep 2020Poor postural stability is associated with chronic ankle instability. Previous research showed an effect of foot type on postural stability. However, the specific effect...
BACKGROUND
Poor postural stability is associated with chronic ankle instability. Previous research showed an effect of foot type on postural stability. However, the specific effect of supinated feet remains unclear.
RESEARCH QUESTION
Our study aimed to assess the effect of foot type on postural stability, while taking potential confounding effects of body mass and body height into account.
METHODS
Forty-three healthy participants between 18 and 40 years old performed barefooted single leg stance tests with eyes open (EO) and closed (EC) on solid ground, and on a balance board (BB). Foot type was determined from pressure recordings during gait, using the arch index. Ground reaction forces were measured using a force plate. Outcome measures were Center of Pressure Velocity (COPV) divided by body height, and the Horizontal Ground Reaction Force (HGRF) divided by body mass. Generalized Estimating Equations models assessed the differences between supinated, normal and pronated feet during EO, EC and on a BB.
RESULTS
During EO an interaction between supinated feet and body mass showed an increase of COPV with 0.03 × 10 1/s per kilogram of mass relative to normal feet (p = .03). During EC this interaction was more pronounced with 0.22 × 10 1/s increase per kilogram mass (p < .01). The HGRF did not differ between foot types in any of the conditions.
SIGNIFICANCE
Supinated feet have a larger increase in COPV compared to normal feet with increasing mass when standing on solid ground during EO and EC. This indicates that people with supinated feet and a higher mass are less stable during single leg stance.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
Level 3, associative study.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Body Height; Body Mass Index; Female; Foot; Healthy Volunteers; Humans; Male; Postural Balance; Young Adult
PubMed: 32818860
DOI: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2020.07.148 -
PloS One 2013In children with either delayed or accelerated growth, expressing the body mass index (BMI) to chronological age might lead to invalid body composition estimates....
BACKGROUND
In children with either delayed or accelerated growth, expressing the body mass index (BMI) to chronological age might lead to invalid body composition estimates. Reference to height-age has been suggested for such populations; however its validity has not been demonstrated.
METHODS
Anthropometric data of healthy children were obtained from the German KiGGS survey. We selected three samples with different height distributions representing short stature (mean height SDS: -1.6), normal stature (height SDS: 0), and tall stature (height SDS: +1.6), and compared BMI-for-age and BMI-for-height-age between these samples across the paediatric age range. Differences between samples were tested using Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance and permutation tests.
RESULTS
At a given age, BMI was distributed towards lower values in short, and towards higher values in tall subjects as compared to a population with average height distribution. Expressing BMI to height-age eliminated these differences in boys with a short stature from 4 years to 14 years of age, in tall boys from 4 to 16 years, in short girls aged 2-10 years or tall girls aged 2-17 years.
CONCLUSION
From late infancy to adolescent age, BMI distribution co-varies with height distribution and referencing to height-age appears appropriate within this age period. However, caution is needed when data about pubertal status are absent.
Topics: Adolescent; Anthropometry; Body Composition; Body Height; Body Mass Index; Body Weight; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Humans; Male; Reproducibility of Results
PubMed: 23951283
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0072068 -
Frontiers in Endocrinology 2023Short children born small for gestational age (SGA) often have low muscle mass. Studies on maximal isometric grip-force (MIGF) observed lower muscle strength in these...
BACKGROUND
Short children born small for gestational age (SGA) often have low muscle mass. Studies on maximal isometric grip-force (MIGF) observed lower muscle strength in these children. In contrast to MIGF, jumping is an everyday muscle activity for children. Our hypothesis was that GH treatment would cause an increase in jumping strength. So, we aimed to study jumping by mechanography in short SGA children before and during GH treatment.
METHODS
Monocentric prospective longitudinal study in a tertiary pediatric endocrinology center. We studied 50 prepubertal short children (23 females) born SGA (mean age 7.2 y, height -3.24 SDS) during GH treatment (mean dose 45 µg/kg/d). Main outcome measures were Peak jump force (PJF) and peak jump power (PJP) measured by Leonardo ground reaction force plate at baseline and after 12 months of GH treatment. Mechanography data were compared to sex, age and height related references (SD-Score). Fitness was estimated as PJP/kg body weight by use of the Esslinger-Fitness-Index (EFI).
RESULTS
At start of GH treatment PJP/body weight was low at -1.52 SDS and increased significantly to -0.95 SDS during 12 months of treatment (p<0.001). PJF was low-normal compared to height dependent references and remained unchanged. PJP was normal compared to height dependent references and increased only slightly from -0.34 to -0.19 SDS.
CONCLUSIONS
Jumping performance (EFI) measured by mechanography increased during one year of GH treatment in short children born SGA.
Topics: Infant, Newborn; Female; Humans; Child; Prospective Studies; Longitudinal Studies; Body Height; Infant, Small for Gestational Age; Body Weight
PubMed: 37143735
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1122287 -
Hormones (Athens, Greece) 2012The aim of this study was to determine the impact of intensive training on adult final height in elite female rhythmic and artistic gymnasts.
PURPOSE
The aim of this study was to determine the impact of intensive training on adult final height in elite female rhythmic and artistic gymnasts.
METHODS
The study included 215 rhythmic gymnasts (RG) and 113 artistic gymnasts (AG).
RESULTS
AG were below the 50th percentile, while RG were taller than average. Final adult height was lower than target height in AG, while in RG, it exceeded target height. AG started training earlier than RG (p<0.001) and reported lower intensity of training (p<0.001). RG were taller than AG, with higher target height, greater Δ final height-target height and lower body fat and BMI (p<0.001). Using multiple regression analysis, the main factors influencing final height were weight SDS (p<0.001), target height SDS (p<0.001) and age of menarche (p<0.001) for RG, and weight SDS (p<0.001) and target height SDS (p<0.001) for AG.
CONCLUSION
In both elite female RG and AG, genetic predisposition to final height was not disrupted and remained the main force of growth. Although in elite RG genetic predisposition for growth was fully preserved, in elite female AG final adult height falls shorter than genetically determined target height, though within the standard error of prediction.
Topics: Adolescent; Body Height; Body Weight; Female; Gymnastics; Humans; Young Adult
PubMed: 22450345
DOI: 10.1007/BF03401538 -
Evolutionary Psychology : An... 2012Visual characteristics, including facial appearance, are thought to play an important role in a variety of judgments and decisions that have real occupational outcomes... (Review)
Review
Visual characteristics, including facial appearance, are thought to play an important role in a variety of judgments and decisions that have real occupational outcomes in many settings. Indeed, there is growing evidence suggesting that appearance influences hiring decisions and even election results. For example, attractive individuals are more likely to be hired, taller men earn more, and the facial appearance of candidates has been linked to real election outcomes. In this article, we review evidence linking physical appearance to occupational success and evaluate the hypothesis that appearance based biases are consistent with predictions based on evolutionary theories of coalition formation and leadership choice. We discuss why appearance based effects are so pervasive, addressing ideas about a "kernel of truth" in attributions and about coalitional psychology. We additionally highlight that appearance may be differently related to success at work according to the types of job or task involved. For example, leaders may be chosen because the characteristics they possess are seen as best suited to lead in particular situations. During a time of war, a dominant-appearing leader may inspire confidence and intimidate enemies while during peace-time, when negotiation and diplomacy are needed, interpersonal skills may outweigh the value of a dominant leader. In line with these ideas, masculine-faced leaders are favored in war-time scenarios while feminine-faced leaders are favored in peace-time scenarios. We suggest that such environment or task specific competencies may be prevalent during selection processes, whereby individuals whose appearance best matches perceived task competences are most likely selected, and propose the general term "task-congruent selection" to describe these effects. Overall, our review highlights how potentially adaptive biases could influence choices in the work place. With respect to certain biases, understanding their origin and current prevalence is important in order to potentially reduce discrimination in the work place.
Topics: Beauty; Biological Evolution; Body Height; Clothing; Employment; Face; Female; Humans; Leadership; Male; Personnel Selection; Politics; Psychology, Applied; Psychology, Social; Social Perception; United States
PubMed: 23379018
DOI: 10.1177/147470491201000503 -
Nature Communications Nov 2016Adult height is a highly heritable trait. Here we identified 31.6 million sequence variants by whole-genome sequencing of 8,453 Icelanders and tested them for...
Adult height is a highly heritable trait. Here we identified 31.6 million sequence variants by whole-genome sequencing of 8,453 Icelanders and tested them for association with adult height by imputing them into 88,835 Icelanders. Here we discovered 13 novel height associations by testing four different models including parent-of-origin (|β|=0.4-10.6 cm). The minor alleles of three parent-of-origin signals associate with less height only when inherited from the father and are located within imprinted regions (IGF2-H19 and DLK1-MEG3). We also examined the association of these sequence variants in a set of 12,645 Icelanders with birth length measurements. Two of the novel variants, (IGF2-H19 and TET1), show significant association with both adult height and birth length, indicating a role in early growth regulation. Among the parent-of-origin signals, we observed opposing parental effects raising questions about underlying mechanisms. These findings demonstrate that common variations affect human growth by parental imprinting.
Topics: Adult; Body Height; Epigenesis, Genetic; Genetic Association Studies; Genetic Loci; Genetic Variation; Genotype; Humans; Iceland; Models, Genetic
PubMed: 27848971
DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13490 -
The Pan African Medical Journal 2021Penile length varies worldwide. It is necessary to determine penile length in our region to enable adequate counselling on normal length and reduce avoidable anxiety....
Penile length varies worldwide. It is necessary to determine penile length in our region to enable adequate counselling on normal length and reduce avoidable anxiety. Two hundred and seventy-one men were recruited with 97 men in group I and 174 men in group II. Mean ages were 38.4 ± 6.9 (21-50) years and 68 ± 9.1 (51-98) years. In group I, the mean flaccid penile length (FPL)-I and stretched penile length (SPL)-I were 9.8± 2.7 and 10.6± 2.2, mean height 1.7±0.07m and body mass index (BMI) 24.1±3.1 kg/m. While in group II, mean FPL-II and SPL-II were 13.0± 2.9 and 14.1 ± 2.1, mean height was 1.69± 0.07m and BMI 24.3± 3.2 kg/m. There were positive correlations between the SPL-I and heights in group I; (r=0.305, p<0.002); height and FPL-I (r = 0.218, P<0.032). Similarly, in group II positive correlations of FPL-II and SPL-II with height; r = 0.166 P<0.028 and r = 0.183, P<0.015. There was negative correlation SPL-II and BMI-II r-0.224, p<0.003. FLR-II and BMI-II, -0.157, p<0.039. In conclusion, Flaccid and stretched penile length of men < 50 years was smaller than those > 50 years. In both age groups, flaccid and stretched penile lengths correlated with height. In group II, penile lengths correlated negatively with BMI.
Topics: Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Body Height; Body Mass Index; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Nigeria; Penis; Reference Values; Young Adult
PubMed: 34539952
DOI: 10.11604/pamj.2021.39.155.21733