Childhood Growth and Adult Hypertension in a Population of High Birth Weight

Abstract

Abstract-Low birth weight has consistently been associated with increased adult blood pressure. The relative importance of childhood growth is, however, less well established. This study examined sex-specific associations between childhood growth and adult blood pressure in 2120 subjects born from 1921 to 1935 in Reykjavik who were recruited into a longitudinal study in 1967-1991. Size at birth and growth at regular intervals between 8 and 13 years were collected from national archives. Hypertensive males did not differ from normotensive males at birth but were increasingly taller and of higher body mass index between 8 and 13 years. No differences in adult height were observed between hypertensive and normotensive males. For boys, growth-velocity (change in growth per year) for body mass index and height between 8 to 13 years was positively associated (PϽ0.05) with adult blood pressure. The association for body mass index-velocity was fully accounted for by concurrent body size, whereas height-velocity was independent of birth weight and concurrent body size. Males in the highest compared with the lowest tertile in the height-velocity distribution had 66% increased risks of hypertension (95% CI: 15% to 139% increased risks of hypertension) corresponding with 5.0 mm Hg increase (95% CI: 1.5 to 8.5 mm Hg increase) and 3.1 mm Hg increase (95% CI: 1.1 to 5.0 mm Hg increase) in systolic and diastolic blood pressures, respectively. Hypertensive females weighed less at birth but did not differ markedly from normotensive girls between 8 and 13 years, and no association was observed for growth-velocity. In conclusion, rapid linear growth between 8 and 13 years predicts elevated adult blood pressure in boys. This association is likely to reflect relatively early onset of puberty among hypertensive males. (Hypertension. 2011;58:8-15.)

Primary Hypertension in Children and Adolescents is an Immuno-Metabolic Disease with Hemodynamic Consequences

“…In addition, there was linear relationship between acceleration of bone growth with BP status from normotension, through prehypertension, stage 1 to stage 2 hypertension. Growth spurt, another marker of maturity (in Poland about 13.5 year of age), was found to be strictly related with a significant rise in BP values in boys but not in girls [16, 17•]. It fits well with observation that the ratio of boys to girls among hypertensive adolescents is 2–3: 1.…”

Effect of Birth Year on Birth Weight and Obesity in Adulthood: Comparison between Subjects Born Prior to and during the Great Depression in Iceland

“…Thus, with regards to impaired fasting glucose this allows for a fair comparison between the subjects based on calendar year exposure to the Great Depression. The relationship between birth size and adult hypertension has been previously discussed in this cohort [24]. We observed minor decreases in systolic and diastolic blood pressure which coincided with increasing use of anti-hypertensive medication for those recruited later in the cohort.…”

“…Despite this attrition, previous analysis has shown that anthropometric measures at birth and adult age do not differ markedly between subjects with and without growth data [24]. Furthermore, the mean height of subjects who had information on childhood growth available was compared to reference data for all public schools in Reykjavik [25].…”

Life course structural equation model of the effects of prenatal and postnatal growth on adult blood pressure

“…Halldorsson et al 31 reported associations of rapid linear growth between 8 and 13 years and elevated adult BP in males indicating that the association is likely to reflect relatively early onset of puberty among hypertensive males. Our observed association of accelerated growth in prepuberty with higher adult BP should be interpreted, however, only in conjunction with continued faster growth and a greater adult BMI, as this association was manifest only via associations with growth later in life rather than directly.…”