title: Birth weight is inversely associated with blood pressure and serum aldosterone and cortisol levels in children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Low birth weight has been independently associated with adult hypertension, and renin-angiotensin system (RAS) plays a role in this connection.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To characterize the associations between birth weight (BW) and serum aldosterone (SA), serum cortisol, plasma renin activity (PRA) and blood pressure (BP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children from the community born at a gestational age >32 weeks.
  
  
  METHODS
  Systolic and diastolic BP indices (SBPi and DBPi) were calculated using the observed BP/50th percentile BP for gender, age and stature. BW was transformed to a standard deviation score (SDS) for gestational age, whereas SA, serum cortisol and PRA were transformed using the natural log.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We selected 288 subjects between the ages of 4·9 and 15·5 years (Females, 50%). After adjusting for body mass index (BMI) SDS and Tanner, multiple regression analysis revealed that BW (SDS) was both independently and inversely associated with the natural log of SA (β = -0·065; P = 0·039), the natural log of serum cortisol (β = -0·064; P = 0·009), SBPi (β = -0·012; P = 0·020) and DBPi (β = -0·023; P = 0·002). An association was not observed with PRA (P = 0·178) and aldosterone renin ratio (ARR) (P = 0·452). Serum cortisol levels were positively associated with SA (r = 0·125; P = 0·034), while an association with PRA (P = 0·251) and ARR (P = 0·052) was not observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study demonstrate an inverse association between birth weight and blood pressure and serum aldosterone and cortisol levels. This association is independent of BMI and Tanner, suggesting foetal programming of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology Unit, Division of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martinez-Aguayo
authors.forename: Marlene
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aglony
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bancalari
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Avalos
authors.forename: Lillian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bolte
authors.forename: Hernan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Loureiro
authors.forename: Cristian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carvajal
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Campino
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Inostroza
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fardella
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000450:Aldosterone / Q000097:blood*; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D000450:Aldosterone; D006854:Hydrocortisone