Childhood mental ability and blood pressure at midlife: linking the Scottish Mental Survey 1932 and the Midspan studies.
OBJECTIVE
To establish the relationship between childhood mental ability and adult hypertension.


METHODS
Retrospective cohort study.


METHODS
Community.


METHODS
Non-clinical sample of people born in 1921 who participated in both the Scottish Mental Survey 1932 and the Midspan studies. Nine hundred and thirty-eight people were participants in both studies.


METHODS
Mid-life systolic and diastolic blood pressure, intelligence quotient (IQ) at age 11 years, sex, social class, height and weight.


RESULTS
After adjustment for age, sex, social class, body mass index, height, cholesterol level and smoking, there remained a 3.15 mmHg decrease in systolic blood pressure and a 1.5 mmHg decrease in diastolic blood pressure for each standard deviation increase in childhood IQ.


CONCLUSIONS
The association between hypertension and lower cognitive function in adulthood is partly accounted for by individual differences in childhood IQ.
Starr
John M
JM
Royal Victoria Hospital, Craigleith Road, Edinburgh EH4 2DN, Scotland, UK.
Taylor
Michelle D
MD
Hart
Carole L
CL
Davey Smith
George
G
Whalley
Lawrence J
LJ
Hole
David J
DJ
Wilson
Valerie
V
Deary
Ian J
IJ
D001794:Blood Pressure; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007360:Intelligence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology