Adult Blood Pressure Tied to Birthweight

People who were relatively light at birth, and who had an unprivileged childhood, are likely to have high blood pressure as adults, a UK study shows.

The findings, published in this week's issue of the medical journal The Lancet, are in agreement with previous reports showing a link between low birthweight and high blood pressure in adulthood.

However, contrary to some reports, there was no evidence that the high adult blood pressure increased further with advancing age.

The new information is based on a study of 3634 people who were born in the UK in 1946. The participants were contacted regularly from birth onward, and had their blood pressures recorded at 36, 43, and 53 years of age.

Systolic blood pressure -- the "top" reading -- rose between the ages of 36 and 53 years as birthweight dropped, report Dr. Rebecca Hardy, from the Royal Free and University College Medical School, London, and others.

In contrast, birthweight did not relate to adult diastolic blood pressure, the "bottom" reading.

Lower socioeconomic class during childhood was tied to higher systolic and diastolic blood pressures in adulthood.

Although the effect of socioeconomic class on blood pressure seemed to rise with age, so did the subjects' current body weight. This increase in weight largely accounted for the increase in blood pressure.

"These findings suggest that weight control throughout life is key to prevention of raised blood pressure during middle age," the researchers note. "Understanding the link between early childhood socioeconomic environment and adult obesity could make this strategy more effective," they add.

SOURCE: Lancet, October 11, 2003.

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