Buffarini R, et al. - The authors resolved to scrutinize the connection between growth trajectories from birth to adolescence and cardiovascular risk marker levels at age 18 years in a population-based cohort. Using conditional weight relative to linear growth (CWh) and conditional length/height (CH), they comparatively assessed the effect of weight gain and that of height gain in order to gauge the growth. A positive correlation was disclosed between rapid weight gain from 1 year onwards with several markers of cardiovascular risk at 18 years. Additional evidence was yielded to the ‘first 1,000 days initiative’ which illustrated the probable importance of prevention of excessive weight gain in childhood in order to lower the subsequent cardiovascular risk.