People who undergo puberty early or late may face a range of health problems later in life, according to a major British study.
Researchers linked the age of puberty to a total of 48 different health conditions.
The study involved 500,000 people registered with the UK Biobank. Participants had to recall the age at which puberty began.
Researchers found the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and poor overall health was increased by 50% for the 20% who were earliest or latest to go through puberty.
The link was not explained by weight or diet, the researchers report.
Researchers from Cambridge University reported their findings in Scientific Reports.
Researcher Dr Felix Day, from the MRC Epidemiology Unit, Cambridge, said: "Up until now, the link between early puberty and risk of disease has been blamed on weight and obesity, but our findings suggest that men and women of a normal weight who go through puberty relatively early or late may also carry these risks.
"Though a study of this kind cannot distinguish between cause and effect, other evidence does point to a causal link between puberty and certain diseases, such as type 2 diabetes.”
Fellow researcher Dr John Perry said: “We are continuing to work to understand how puberty timing impacts later health and how this information may be used alongside efforts to support healthy lifestyle changes and prevent disease.
“It is important to note that the increase in disease risk attributable to puberty timing is still relatively modest and represents one of many factors that contribute to the overall risk of developing disease.”
Scientific Reports 18 June 2015
Leave a Reply