(Mirror.)

The siege of Leningrad is known as a prolonged military operation (8 September 1941–27 January 1944) overrun by the [Axis] against Leningrad (currently known as Saint Petersburg), leading to a severe restriction of food supply for the inhabitants. Out of a population of 2.9 million people (including 500 000 children), 630 000 died from hunger‐related causes. A significant increase in the prevalence of hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases in 1942–1943 [6] was documented, but first, a follow‐up study was published only in 2004 by Sparén et al. [7].

Women, who were between the age of 9 and 15 years at the peak of starvation, had higher SBP associated with higher mortality from CHD and cerebrovascular diseases [8]. Another study of Stanner et al. [9] demonstrated that intrauterine malnutrition was not associated with glucose intolerance, dyslipidemia, hypertension, or cardiovascular diseases in adult life.

[…]

Survivors of the siege of Leningrad were significantly shorter (in height), and had a significantly lower weight and a higher HDL level. The frequency of major cardiovascular diseases was similar in both the groups. The intake of hypolipidemic medication was comparable and poor in both groups [66 (21.6%) among survivors and 10 (19.6%) among controls].

The intake of antihypertensive therapy was registered in 184 (68.4%) survivors and 38 (86.3%) controls of hypertensive participants. The group of survivors was represented predominantly by women who were more obese, had hypercholesterolemia, had diabetes mellitus more often, and a lower rate of MI in anamnesis than men.

Prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia was significantly higher in the intrauterine famine group with 13 participants (28.8%) compared with the childhood famine group with 33 participants (15.7%). Prevalence of hypertension was similar between survivors (89.7%) and controls (86.2%); however, individuals exposed to famine in childhood (91.3%) and intrauterine period (93.3%) had significantly higher prevalence of hypertension (𝜒² = 6.28, 𝛲 = 0.043) compared with the newborn/infant group (80%).

Survivors exposed to starvation during the newborn/infant period had a decreased risk of hypertension even adjusted for age and sex [OR 0.38, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.17, 0.86, 𝛲 = 0.02].

The childhood group had higher prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), with 135 individuals/cases (64.2%) compared to the newborn/infant group with 24 cases (48.0%) and the intrauterine group with 19 cases (42.2%) (𝜒² = 10.0, 𝛲 = 0.007). Survivors who underwent starvation during their childhood had a nonsignificantly higher risk of LVH (OR 1.55, 95% CI 0.99, 2.44), which was even lower after adjustment for age.

Other markers of target organ damage did not differ in the subgroups of survivors. The comparative characteristics of survivors and controls are presented in Table 2. The only prevalence of increased carotid IMT and atherosclerotic plaques was significantly increased in the survivor group.

Correlation analysis in survivors, apart from the well known predicted weak correlation between the hemodynamic parameters (SBP, DBP, HR with LVMI and age), revealed a strong association of anthropometric variables with DBP in the intrauterine group [BMI (𝑟 = 0.51) and waist circumference (𝑟 = 0.53), 𝛲 < 0.05].

Survivors had a significantly shorter telomere length T/S ratio 0.44 (0.25; 0.64) vs. controls 0.91 (0.47; 1.13) (𝛲 < 0.0001), both in men and women. The newborn/infant group had a significantly longer telomere length (T/S ratio) [0.63 (0.31; 0.81)] compared with the childhood group [0.46 (0.23; 0.62)] and the intrauterine group [0.44 (0.19; 0.57)] (𝛲 = 0.023). Multivariable regression analysis confirmed the main determinants of decreased T/S value (Table 3).

(Emphasis added.)

As you may know, neocolonists in the Middle East are currently attempting to famish Gazans out of existence; international organisations such as the World Food Programme warn that the risk of famine in Gaza is now serious.

The evidence from the survivors of the Axis’s siege of Leningrad suggests that even Gazans without apparent physical disabilities are going to bear the scars of neocolonialism for a long time to come. Nevertheless, with that knowledge in mind, I am still glad that I donated $5 to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund a couple of days ago.