We know from previous studies in Hertfordshire that the way we grow in our mother’s womb and the first few years of life affects our risk of developing many diseases in later life, such as thinning of the bones (osteoporosis). In the Hertfordshire Inter-generational Study of Bone Health we are interested in whether early life exposures have an impact on the bone health of future generations. Over 120 participants including grandparents, children and grandchildren have been to Cambridge to have their musculoskeletal system phenotyed using state-of-the-art methods at the Elsie Widdowson Laboratory including dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanning and high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HRpQCT). These measurements will enable us to look in detail at the structure and makeup of the participants bones and see if there are any similarities across generations. If our results suggest that effects early in life have an effect on musculoskeletal health in later generations, this has the potential to profoundly impact upon public health strategies that could improve musculoskeletal health for generations to come.
