Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Young Adults with Very Low Birth Weight

Hovi, Petteri; Andersson, Sture; Räikkönen, Katri; Strang-Karlsson, Sonja; Järvenpää, Anna-Liisa; Eriksson, Johan G.; Pesonen, Anu-Katriina; Heinonen, Kati; Pyhälä, Riikka; Kajantie, Eero

doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2009.07.022

« Previous Next »The Journal of Pediatrics
Volume 156, Issue 1 , Pages 54-59.e1, January 2010

Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Young Adults with Very Low Birth Weight

Petteri Hovi, MD
- Department of Chronic Disease Prevention, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
- Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Reprint requests: Dr Petteri Hovi, National Institute for Health and Welfare, PO Box 30, FI-00271 Helsinki, Finland.
Sture Andersson, MD, PhD
- Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Katri Räikkönen, PhD
- Department of Psychology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Sonja Strang-Karlsson, MD
- Department of Chronic Disease Prevention, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
- Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Anna-Liisa Järvenpää, MD, PhD
- Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Johan G. Eriksson, MD, PhD
- Department of Chronic Disease Prevention, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Vasa Central Hospital, Vasa, Finland
- Unit of General Practice, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
Anu-Katriina Pesonen, PhD
- Department of Psychology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Kati Heinonen, PhD
- Department of Psychology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Riikka Pyhälä, MA
- Department of Psychology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Eero Kajantie, MD, PhD
- Department of Chronic Disease Prevention, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
- Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

Received 9 March 2009; received in revised form 15 June 2009; accepted 8 July 2009. published online 05 October 2009.

Objective

We hypothesized that, as compared with a matched control group born at term, young adults with very low birth weight (VLBW <1.5 kg) would have higher 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure.

Study design

We studied 118 18- to 27-year-old subjects born with VLBW within the greater Helsinki area and 120 term-born control subjects with similar age, sex, and birth hospital. The mean birth weight for VLBW subjects was 1.1 kg (standard deviation [SD], 0.2) and for controls, 3.6 kg (SD, 0.5). Gestational ages were 29.2 (SD, 2.3) and 40.1 (SD, 1.0) weeks. Current education of higher-educated parents served as an indicator of childhood socioeconomic status. Ambulatory blood pressure was measured during a 24-hour period with an oscillometric device (Spacelabs 90207).

Results

VLBW subjects had, with sex, age, and body mass index adjustment, a 2.4 mm Hg (95% confidence interval, 0.2 to 4.6) higher 24-hour systolic pressure. We found hypertension in 11 VLBW subjects and in 3 term-born subjects, giving an adjusted odds ratio of 4.0 (1.1 to 14.8). When socioeconomic status was taken into account, results remained unchanged.

Conclusions

Higher rates of hypertension and higher 24-hour blood pressure among young adults with VLBW may indicate higher risk for adverse cardiovascular outcomes.

AGA, Appropriate for gestational age, BMI, Body mass index, SD, Standard deviation, SGA, Small for gestational age, VLBW, Very low birth weight (<1500 g)