Ambulatory blood pressure in young adults with very low birth weight.
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.


METHODS
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.
Department of Chronic Disease Prevention, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland. petteri.hovi@helsinki.fi
Petteri
P
Hovi
Sture
S
Andersson
Katri
K
Räikkönen
Sonja
S
Strang-Karlsson
Anna-Liisa
AL
Järvenpää
Johan G
JG
Eriksson
Anu-Katriina
AK
Pesonen
Kati
K
Heinonen
Riikka
R
Pyhälä
Eero
E
Kajantie
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012923:Social Class; D055815:Young Adult