Hunger claimed the lives of around 4 million people in Ukraine in the early 1930s due to Holodomor, a famine caused by the Soviet regime under Stalin’s leadership. Recent research reveals the lasting impact of famine on individuals, even those who were not yet born at the time.
A study published in Science highlights the connection between exposure to famine in the womb and an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. The research shows that individuals who experienced the peak of the famine during early gestation had double the risk of diabetes compared to those who were not exposed. Moreover, people born in regions severely affected by the famine, such as Kyiv, Cherkasy, and Poltava, were at a higher risk.
The study examined diabetes diagnoses from 2000 to 2008 among over 10 million individuals born in Soviet Ukraine between 1930 and 1938. Lead author L.H. Lumey, a professor at Columbia University, emphasizes the significance of addressing the long-term health effects of undernutrition and starvation. This study builds upon Lumey’s previous research in 2015, which had more limited data.
Type 2 diabetes results from insufficient insulin production by the pancreas, leading to unregulated blood sugar levels. While the study does not specify the exact mechanism linking prenatal famine exposure to adult diabetes, experts like Simin Liu from Brown University suggest that epigenetics, the influence of environmental factors on gene expression, may play a role.
The fetal programming hypothesis proposes that stimuli during critical fetal development periods can impact metabolism into adulthood. Peter Klimek, an associate professor at the Medical University of Vienna, explains that fetuses exposed to famine in early gestation may be at a higher risk of diabetes as adults due to metabolic adjustments to a nutritionally poor environment.
Challenges in the study included falsified census data by the Soviet government in 1939, obscuring the true impact of the famine. Researchers had to use demographic balancing equations based on data from earlier censuses to estimate accurate population figures.
Today, one in three Ukrainians faces hunger due to the ongoing conflict with Russia, impacting food security and agricultural production. Liu emphasizes the importance of prenatal and early childhood nutrition in shaping long-term health outcomes. Public policies should focus on ensuring adequate nutrition for pregnant women and children in famine-prone regions and providing support for managing metabolic disorders in individuals exposed to such conditions.
In conclusion, the study underscores the lasting effects of famine on health outcomes and emphasizes the need for targeted nutritional support during critical developmental periods. By addressing these issues, policymakers can improve long-term health outcomes for vulnerable populations affected by famine and food insecurity.
