Review

Authors: Jeffrey Baron, Lars Sävendahl, Francesco De Luca...

In the past, the growth hormone (GH)-insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) axis was often considered to be the main system that regulated childhood growth and, therefore, determined short stature and tall stature. However, findings have now revealed that the GH-IGF-1 axis is just one of many regulatory systems that control chondrogenesis in the growth plate, which is the biological process that drives height gain. Consequently, normal growth in children depends not only on GH and IGF-1 but also on multiple hormones, paracrine factors, extracellular matrix molecules and intracellular proteins that regulate the activity of growth plate chondrocytes. Mutations in the genes that encode many of these local proteins cause short stature or tall stature. Similarly, genome-wide association studies have revealed that the normal variation in height seems to be largely due to genes outside the GH-IGF-1 axis that affect growth at the growth plate through a wide variety of mechanisms. These findings point to a new conceptual framework for understanding short and tall stature that is centred not on two particular hormones but rather on the growth plate, which is the structure responsible for height gain.

Topics: Animals; Body Height; Gene Dosage; Growth Disorders; Growth Plate; Human Growth Hormone; Humans; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I

PubMed: 26437621
DOI: 10.1038/nrendo.2015.165

Authors: Tim J Cole, Charlotte M Wright

BACKGROUND

A child's adult height is commonly predicted using their target height, based on mid-parent height. However, if no growth disorder is suspected, the child's current height is a far better predictor of their adult height.

AIM

To develop a chart to predict a child's adult height from their current height, adjusting for regression to the mean.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Data from the First Zurich Longitudinal Growth Study provided correlations between child height and adult height by age and sex, for use in a regression model predicting adult height centile from child height centile. The model was validated using data from the British 1946 and 1958 birth cohorts.

RESULTS

The chart is illustrated superimposed on the British 1990 boys height chart. The predicted height has a standard error of 4-5 cm for ages from 4 years to puberty in both sexes. The regression adjustment partially compensates for biased predictions in early and late developers in puberty. A simplified version of the chart for restricted age ranges is also shown, as used on the UK-WHO 0-4 years growth charts.

CONCLUSION

The height prediction chart should be of value for parents, and indirectly professionals, to predict adult height in their children.

Topics: Adult; Body Height; Child; Child, Preschool; Cohort Studies; Female; Growth Charts; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Male; United Kingdom; Young Adult

PubMed: 21767107
DOI: 10.3109/03014460.2011.598189

Authors: J K LLOYD, O H WOLFF

Topics: Body Height; Child; Humans; Infant; Obesity; Pediatric Obesity

PubMed: 13762916
DOI: 10.1136/bmj.2.5245.145

Authors: Paul Verdu

Paul Verdu introduces the anthropology and genetics of African populations often summarised under the label 'Pygmy'.

Topics: Anthropology; Biological Evolution; Black People; Body Height; Genetic Variation; Genetics, Population; Humans

PubMed: 26766223
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.10.023

Review

Authors: Michael A Little

Humans show marked variation in body size around the world, both within and among populations. At present, the tallest people in the world are from the Netherlands and the Balkan countries, while the shortest populations are central African Pygmies. There are genetic, genetic plasticity, developmental, and environmental bases for size variation in from the recent past and the present. Early populations of species also have shown considerable size variation. Populations from the present and the past are also marked by sexual dimorphism, which, itself, shows group variation. There is abundant evidence for the effects of limited food and disease on human growth and resultant adult body size. This environmental influence has been reflected in "secular trends" (over a span of years) in growth and adult size from socioeconomic prosperity or poverty (availability of resources). Selective and evolutionary advantages of small or large body size also have been documented. Heritability for human height is relatively great with current genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identifying hundreds of genes leading to causes of growth and adult size variation. There are also endocrinological pathways limiting growth. An example is the reduced tissue sensitivity to human growth hormone (HGH) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) in Philippine and African hunter-gatherer populations. In several short-statured hunter-gatherer populations (Asian, African, and South American), it has been hypothesized that short life expectancy has selected for early maturity and truncated growth to enhance fertility. Some island populations of humans and other mammals are thought to have been selected for small size because of limited resources, especially protein. The high-protein content of milk as a staple food may contribute to tall stature in East African pastoral peoples. These and other evolutionary questions linked to life history, male competition, reproduction, and mobility are explored in this paper.

Topics: Adult; Animals; Biological Evolution; Body Height; Body Size; Ethnicity; Genetic Variation; Genome-Wide Association Study; Growth Disorders; Growth and Development; Humans; Mammals; Phenotype

PubMed: 32210916
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2020.00107

Authors: Joseph Yeboah

Topics: Adult; Body Height; Diet; Healthy Aging; Humans; Research

PubMed: 28679549
DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.117.161562

Authors: T T Samaras, H Elrick, L H Storms...

Topics: Body Constitution; Body Height; Body Mass Index; Humans; Life Expectancy; Longevity; Sports

PubMed: 10388255
DOI: No ID Found

Authors: Cheryl D Fryar, Deanna Kruszon-Moran, Qiuping Gu...

Objectives-This report presents trends in mean weight, height, waist circumference, and body mass index (BMI) among adults in the United States from 1999-2000 through 2015-2016. Methods-Data were obtained from physical examinations of a nationally representative sample of adults aged 20 and over in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys during 1999-2016. The tables present means and standard errors of the mean for weight (n = 45,047), height (n = 46,481), waist circumference (n = 43,169), and BMI (n = 44,859) separately for men and women overall, by age group, and by race and Hispanic origin for each 2-year survey period. Changes in these body measures over time were evaluated using linear regression. Results-Since 1999, mean weight, waist circumference, and BMI increased for all age groups, for non-Hispanic white and Mexican-American men and women, and for non-Hispanic black women. Among non-Hispanic black men, weight, waist circumference, and BMI increased until 2005-2006 and then remained level. No change in height was seen over time except for a decrease in crude estimates among all women, a decrease among men and women aged 40-59, and an increase in both crude and age-adjusted estimates of mean height for men followed by a decrease after 2003-2004. No significant trends were seen in any of the four body measures for non-Hispanic Asian men and women (data available only for 2011-2016).

Topics: Adult; Aged; Body Height; Body Mass Index; Body Weight; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Nutrition Surveys; United States; Waist Circumference

PubMed: 30707668
DOI: No ID Found

Authors: Mark F Riederer

Topics: Humans; Body Height; Sports

PubMed: 37643012
DOI: 10.1177/19417381231187909

Review

Authors: Youn Hee Jee, Anenisia C Andrade, Jeffrey Baron...

Short stature is a common and heterogeneous condition that is often genetic in etiology. For most children with genetic short stature, the specific molecular causes remain unknown; but with advances in exome/genome sequencing and bioinformatics approaches, new genetic causes of growth disorders have been identified, contributing to the understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms of longitudinal bone growth and growth failure. Identifying new genetic causes of growth disorders has the potential to improve diagnosis, prognostic accuracy, and individualized management, and help avoid unnecessary testing for endocrine and other disorders.

Topics: Body Height; Bone Development; Growth Disorders; Humans

PubMed: 28476223
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecl.2017.01.001