Summary
This systematic review consolidates epidemiological evidence demonstrating that early puberty onset is associated with elevated risks of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and mental health disorders in later life. The review finds that early menarche and early voice breaking predict higher prevalence of metabolic disease in adulthood, with notably greater impact on girls than boys. The authors conclude that early puberty warrants consideration as a risk factor in public health surveillance and call for investigation of underlying mechanisms and preventive interventions.
Regional applicability
The findings are relevant to UK paediatric and public health practice, particularly given observed secular trends towards earlier puberty onset in developed nations. However, UK-specific epidemiological data on early puberty prevalence and its health sequelae would be needed to tailor prevention and screening strategies to the British population.
Key measures
Body mass index (BMI) in adulthood, prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), cardiovascular disease outcomes (coronary heart disease, stroke, angina, hypertension), mental health indicators (behavioural dysfunction, depression), age of menarche in girls and voice breaking in boys
Outcomes reported
This comprehensive review synthesised epidemiological evidence on the long-term adverse health effects of early puberty onset, examining associations with metabolic diseases (obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease) and mental health outcomes (behavioural dysfunction, depression). The study identified early puberty as an independent risk factor for multiple chronic conditions in adulthood, with differential impacts between sexes.
Topic tags
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