Parental age at childbirth may affect metabolism of adult offspring

In a study of middle-aged men who were overweight, researchers found that if a man's parents were older at the time of his birth, he was more likely to have lower blood pressure, more favorable cholesterol levels, and improved glucose metabolism. It's unknown whether the beneficial effect was due to having an older mother, an older father, or both.

Additional studies are necessary to help shed light on the effects of parental age at childbirth on the metabolism of men and women. "In particular, more research is required to understand whether these effects are due to epigenetics or post-natal factors such as the child-rearing environment," said Professor Wayne Cutfield, senior author of the American Journal of Human Biology study.

More information:
Albert, B. B., De Bock, M., Derraik, J. G.B., Brennan, C. M., Biggs, J. B., Hofman, P. L. and Cutfield, W. S. (2014), Increasing parental age at childbirth is associated with greater insulin sensitivity and more favorable metabolic profile in overweight adult male offspring. Am. J. Hum. Biol.. doi: 10.1002/ajhb.22654

Provided by Wiley