The 1918 influenza and 20th century CHD

Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease Cambridge University Press

Copyright © Cambridge University Press and the International Society for Developmental Origins of Health and Disease 2010

doi:10.1017/S2040174410000292

Letter to the Editor

Maria Ines Azambujaa1 c1 a1 Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Ramiro Barcelos 2600 4/420, Porto Alegre, RS. Brazil

Correspondence:

^c1 miazambuja@terra.com.br

Dear Editor,

As a medical doctor studying, since 1990, the role of influenza as a determinant of the 20th century rise in CHD mortality, I welcome the publication in this journal of other papers also suggesting an association between the 1918 influenza pandemic and CVD occurrence.¹

While our target birth cohorts and methodology were different, the underlining idea behind our studies was the same: that influenza priming would have a role in the differential birth cohort distribution of CHD and CVD events later in life./.../