[olsen]

(a chronic disease thought to be associated with factors in prenatal and developmental periods of life)

"...The arthritic Bullwinkles (moose) got that way because of poor nutrition early in life, an extraordinary 50-year research project has discovered. That could mean, scientists say, that some people’s arthritis can be linked in part to nutritional deficits, in the womb and possibly throughout childhood.

The moose conclusion bolsters a small but growing body of research connecting early development to chronic conditions like osteoarthritis,...

...But the moose work, along with some human research, suggests arthritis’s origins are more complex, probably influenced by early exposures to nutrients and other factors while our bodies are developing..."
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/17/he...oose.html?_r=1