| Title: | Early-Life Factors and Risk of Brain Arteriovenous Malformations: A Prospective Cohort Study |
| Journal: | Cerebrovascular Diseases |
| Published: | 21 Jan 2026 |
| Pubmed: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41563928/ |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1159/000550221 |
Publication 18598
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The pathophysiological basis of brain arteriovenous malformations (bAVMs) remains incompletely understood. Early-life factors are hypothesized to influence cerebrovascular development; however, their potential associations with bAVMs have not been systematically evaluated. This study aimed to investigate the associations between eight early-life factors and the risk of bAVMs.</p>
METHODS: This prospective cohort study included 329,121 participants aged 40-69 years from the UK Biobank with complete covariate data at baseline. Multiple-adjusted logistic regression models were used to explore the associations between eight self-reported early-life factors (breastfed as a baby, part of a multiple birth, maternal smoking around birth, comparative body size at age 10, handedness, childhood sunburn occasions, number of older siblings, birth weight) and subsequent diagnosis of bAVMs.</p>
RESULTS: A total of 141 patients were diagnosed with bAVMs. After multivariable adjustment, three early-life factors were associated with an increased risk of bAVMs: very low birth weight (<1.5 kg vs. 2.5-4.0 kg; odds ratio [OR], 3.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-10.67), having one or more older siblings (≥1 person vs. none; OR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.03-3.24), and frequent childhood sunburn (>10 episodes vs. none; OR, 2.83; 95% CI, 1.13-7.08). No statistically significant associations were observed in other early-life factors. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these findings.</p>
CONCLUSIONS: In this large prospective cohort, very low birth weight, the presence of older siblings, and repeated childhood sunburn were associated with a higher risk of bAVMs. These findings warrant validation and further investigation into the underlying biological mechanisms.</p>
11 Authors
- Zhisheng Li
- Junyu Liu
- Fang Cao
- Yuge Wang
- Yaoyao Wang
- Hanyue Zeng
- Mengna Zhou
- Tiancheng Zhang
- Yifeng Li
- Weixi Jiang
- Junxia Yan
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