at the same age. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Non-fasting blood samples were taken using standard procedures when the children were age 9 years, with samples immediately spun and frozen at −80°C. The measurements were assayed in 2008 after a median of 7.5 years in storage with no previous freeze–thaw cycles during this period. Plasma lipids (total cholesterol, triglycerides, and HDL cholesterol) were performed by modification of the standard Lipid Research Clinics Protocol using enzymatic reagents for lipid determination. C-reactive protein was measured by automated particle-enhanced immunoturbidimetric assay (Roche UK, Welwyn Garden City, UK). All assay coefficients of variation were <5%. All variables were inverse normal transformed for males and females separately.
