Men who started smoking regularly before the age of 11 had sons who, on average, had 5-10kg more body fat than their peers by the time they were in their teens, according to new research from the Children of the 90s study at the University of Bristol. The researchers say this could indicate that exposure to tobacco smoke before the start of puberty may lead to metabolic changes in the next generation.
The effect, although present, was not seen to the same degree in daughters. Many other factors, including genetic factors and the father's weight, were taken into account but none could explain the change. In fact, the fathers who started smoking before 11 tended to have lower BMIs (body mass index) on average.
The effect was not seen in the sons of men who started smoking after the age of 11, suggesting that the period before the start of puberty is a particularly sensitive period for environmental exposures. This is in line with a prior hypothesis by the authors based on earlier Swedish studies that linked paternal ancestor's food supply in mid childhood with mortality rates in grandchildren.
Of the 9,886 fathers enrolled in the study, 5,376 (54 per cent) were smokers at some time and, of these, 166 (3 per cent) reported smoking regularly before the age of 11.
When measured at age 13, 15 and 17, the sons of the men in the latter category had the highest BMIs at each time point compared with the sons of men who had started smoking later or who had never smoked. More precisely, these boys had markedly higher levels of fat mass (recorded using whole-body scans), ranging from an extra 5kg to 10kg between ages 13 and 17.
The research was funded by the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) and is published today in the European Journal of Human Genetics.
Speaking about the findings, senior author, Professor Marcus Pembrey said:
'This discovery of trans-generational effects has big implications for research into the current rise in obesity and the evaluation of preventative measures. It is no longer acceptable to just study lifestyle factors in one generation. We are probably missing a trick with respect to understanding several common diseases of public health concern by ignoring the possible effects of previous generations.'
Professor David Lomas, Chair of the MRC's Population and Systems Medicine Board, added:
'Population studies have provided a wealth of information about health and disease, including first identifying the link between smoking and cancer more than 60 years ago. This research clearly demonstrates that such studies have so much more to give, which is why it's vital that the future potential of cohorts and the studies they make possible is not jeopardised by the proposed EU data regulations.'
Explore further: Children as young as seven affected by parents smoking
More information: The paper, Northstone, K et al, 'Prepubertal start of father's smoking and increased body fat in his sons: further characterisation of paternal transgenerational responses' is published today [2 April 2014] in the European Journal of Human Genetics, DOI: 10.1038/ejhg.2014.31
Medical Xpress on facebook
Related Stories
Children as young as seven affected by parents smoking
Jul 24, 2013
A new study out today (24 July) shows that children as young as seven had elevated levels of cotinine (a by-product of nicotine) in their blood if their mother smoked, particularly children whose mothers smoked ten cigarettes ...
New evidence links smoking to postmenopausal breast cancer risk
Mar 19, 2014
Postmenopausal women who smoke or have smoked in the past may have an increased risk of breast cancer compared with women who have never smoked according to a new study published in the British Journal of ...
Children of divorced parents more likely to start smoking
Mar 14, 2013
Both daughters and sons from divorced families are significantly more likely to initiate smoking in comparison to their peers from intact families, shows a new analysis of 19,000 Americans.
Passive smoking causes irreversible damage to children's arteries
Mar 04, 2014
Exposure to passive smoking in childhood causes irreversible damage to the structure of children's arteries, according to a study published online today (Wednesday) in the European Heart Journal.
Smoking cessation reduces risk of cataract extraction
Jan 07, 2014
(HealthDay)—Smoking cessation correlates with a reduction in the risk of cataract extraction, although the risk persists for more than 20 years, according to a study published online Jan. 2 in JAMA Ophthalmology.
Recommended for you
The origin of twins
10 minutes ago
(Medical Xpress)—The egregious presumption of universal fact has a long history in science. The ever popular Giordano Bruno was burned at the stake in the year 1600 for crimes against the state; namely, ...
Enhancers serve to restrict potentially dangerous hypermutation to antibody genes
16 hours ago
How B lymphocytes are able to direct mutations to their antibody genes to produce millions of different antibodies has fascinated biologists for decades. A new study publishing in the Open Access journal PLOS Biology on Apr ...
Heart attack gene, MRP-14, triggers blood clot formation
16 hours ago
Right now, options are limited for preventing heart attacks. However, the day may come when treatments target the heart attack gene, myeloid related protein-14 (MRP-14, also known as S100A9) and defang its ...
Common molecular defect offers treatment hope for group of rare disorders
20 hours ago
Duke Medicine researchers studying tiny, antennae-like structures called cilia have found a potential way to ease some of the physical damage of numerous genetic disorders that result when these essential cellular components ...
The human 'hairless' gene identified: One form of baldness explained
21 hours ago
It's not a hair-brained idea: A new research report appearing in the April 2014 issue of The FASEB Journal explains why people with a rare balding condition called "atrichia with papular lesions" lose their hair, and it ide ...
Genetic insights to vesicoureteric reflux
Apr 01, 2014
UCD researchers in the National Centre for Medical Genetics have carried out a genome scan of 225 Irish families to locate causative mutations in vesicoureteric reflux. Their work, published recently in Molecular Genetics & ...
User comments
© Medical Xpress 2011-2014, Science X network
Men who started smoking regularly before the age of 11 had sons who, on average, had 5-10kg more body fat than their peers by the time they were in their teens, according to new research from the Children of the 90s study at the University of Bristol. The researchers say this could indicate that exposure to tobacco smoke before the start of puberty may lead to metabolic changes in the next generation.
The effect, although present, was not seen to the same degree in daughters. Many other factors, including genetic factors and the father's weight, were taken into account but none could explain the change. In fact, the fathers who started smoking before 11 tended to have lower BMIs (body mass index) on average.
The effect was not seen in the sons of men who started smoking after the age of 11, suggesting that the period before the start of puberty is a particularly sensitive period for environmental exposures. This is in line with a prior hypothesis by the authors based on earlier Swedish studies that linked paternal ancestor's food supply in mid childhood with mortality rates in grandchildren.
Of the 9,886 fathers enrolled in the study, 5,376 (54 per cent) were smokers at some time and, of these, 166 (3 per cent) reported smoking regularly before the age of 11.
When measured at age 13, 15 and 17, the sons of the men in the latter category had the highest BMIs at each time point compared with the sons of men who had started smoking later or who had never smoked. More precisely, these boys had markedly higher levels of fat mass (recorded using whole-body scans), ranging from an extra 5kg to 10kg between ages 13 and 17.
The research was funded by the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) and is published today in the European Journal of Human Genetics.
Speaking about the findings, senior author, Professor Marcus Pembrey said:
'This discovery of trans-generational effects has big implications for research into the current rise in obesity and the evaluation of preventative measures. It is no longer acceptable to just study lifestyle factors in one generation. We are probably missing a trick with respect to understanding several common diseases of public health concern by ignoring the possible effects of previous generations.'
Professor David Lomas, Chair of the MRC's Population and Systems Medicine Board, added:
'Population studies have provided a wealth of information about health and disease, including first identifying the link between smoking and cancer more than 60 years ago. This research clearly demonstrates that such studies have so much more to give, which is why it's vital that the future potential of cohorts and the studies they make possible is not jeopardised by the proposed EU data regulations.'
Explore further: Children as young as seven affected by parents smoking
More information: The paper, Northstone, K et al, 'Prepubertal start of father's smoking and increased body fat in his sons: further characterisation of paternal transgenerational responses' is published today [2 April 2014] in the European Journal of Human Genetics, DOI: 10.1038/ejhg.2014.31
Medical Xpress on facebook
Related Stories
Children as young as seven affected by parents smoking
Jul 24, 2013
A new study out today (24 July) shows that children as young as seven had elevated levels of cotinine (a by-product of nicotine) in their blood if their mother smoked, particularly children whose mothers smoked ten cigarettes ...
New evidence links smoking to postmenopausal breast cancer risk
Mar 19, 2014
Postmenopausal women who smoke or have smoked in the past may have an increased risk of breast cancer compared with women who have never smoked according to a new study published in the British Journal of ...
Children of divorced parents more likely to start smoking
Mar 14, 2013
Both daughters and sons from divorced families are significantly more likely to initiate smoking in comparison to their peers from intact families, shows a new analysis of 19,000 Americans.
Passive smoking causes irreversible damage to children's arteries
Mar 04, 2014
Exposure to passive smoking in childhood causes irreversible damage to the structure of children's arteries, according to a study published online today (Wednesday) in the European Heart Journal.
Smoking cessation reduces risk of cataract extraction
Jan 07, 2014
(HealthDay)—Smoking cessation correlates with a reduction in the risk of cataract extraction, although the risk persists for more than 20 years, according to a study published online Jan. 2 in JAMA Ophthalmology.
Recommended for you
The origin of twins
10 minutes ago
(Medical Xpress)—The egregious presumption of universal fact has a long history in science. The ever popular Giordano Bruno was burned at the stake in the year 1600 for crimes against the state; namely, ...
Enhancers serve to restrict potentially dangerous hypermutation to antibody genes
16 hours ago
How B lymphocytes are able to direct mutations to their antibody genes to produce millions of different antibodies has fascinated biologists for decades. A new study publishing in the Open Access journal PLOS Biology on Apr ...
Heart attack gene, MRP-14, triggers blood clot formation
16 hours ago
Right now, options are limited for preventing heart attacks. However, the day may come when treatments target the heart attack gene, myeloid related protein-14 (MRP-14, also known as S100A9) and defang its ...
Common molecular defect offers treatment hope for group of rare disorders
20 hours ago
Duke Medicine researchers studying tiny, antennae-like structures called cilia have found a potential way to ease some of the physical damage of numerous genetic disorders that result when these essential cellular components ...
The human 'hairless' gene identified: One form of baldness explained
21 hours ago
It's not a hair-brained idea: A new research report appearing in the April 2014 issue of The FASEB Journal explains why people with a rare balding condition called "atrichia with papular lesions" lose their hair, and it ide ...
Genetic insights to vesicoureteric reflux
Apr 01, 2014
UCD researchers in the National Centre for Medical Genetics have carried out a genome scan of 225 Irish families to locate causative mutations in vesicoureteric reflux. Their work, published recently in Molecular Genetics & ...
User comments
© Medical Xpress 2011-2014, Science X network
0 comments:
Post a Comment