and objectiveA common variant of the IGF-I gene has been shown to be associated with cardiovascular disease in adulthood. The objective of this study was to examine whether this variant of the IGF-I gene is associated with blood pressure and left heart dimensions in early childhood.Research design and methodsThis study was embedded in the Generation R Study, a population-based prospective cohort study from foetal life onwards. IGF-I promoter region was genotyped in DNA obtained from cord blood.

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... Blood pressure (systolic and diastolic) and echocardiography (left ventricular mass, left atrial diameter and aortic root diameter) measurements were performed at the age of 2 years. Analyses were performed in 538 subjects.ResultsEight alleles of the IGF-I promoter region were identified. In total, 43% of the subjects were homozygous for the 192 bp allele (wild type), 46% were heterozygous and 11% were non-carriers. Significantly lower systolic and diastolic blood pressures were found in non-carrier subjects (difference compared with homozygous subjects: −4.4 (95% confidence interval (CI) −7.8 to −1.1) mmHg and −3.5 (95% CI: −6.9 to −0.1) mm respectively). No significant differences were found for left heart dimensions at the age of 2 years. No association was found when we used a previously proposed alternative classification of the IGF-I gene.ConclusionThe variant type of the IGF-I promoter region is associated with lower blood pressure but not with left heart dimensions at the age of 2 years. Follow-up studies are needed to examine whether these differences persist in later life.