title: OS103. Hypertensive disorders during pregnancy and cognitive decline of the offspring up to old age: the helsinki birth cohort study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hypertensive disorders affect the fetal developmental milieu and may point to mechanisms by which prenatal adversity is associated with lower cognitive ability in subsequent life.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We tested whether hypertensive disorders during pregnancy predict age-related change in cognitive ability in the offspring up to old age.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using mothers' blood pressure and urinary protein measurements from the maternity clinics and birth hospitals, we defined normotensive or hypertensive pregnancies in mothers of 398 men, who participated in the Helsinki Birth Cohort 1934-44 Study. The men underwent the Finnish Defense Forces basic ability test twice, first, during compulsory military service at age 20.1 (SD=1.4) years and, then, in a re-test at age 68.5 (SD=2.9) years. The test yields a total score and subscores for tests measuring verbal, arithmetic and visuospatial reasoning. Scores were standardized with a mean of 100 and standard deviation of 15.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Men born after pregnancies complicated by a hypertensive disorder, compared with men born after normotensive pregnancies, scored 3.84 (95% Confidence Interval, 0.77 to 6.91) points lower on total cognitive ability at 68.5 years, and displayed a greater decline in total cognitive ability (2.31, 0.23 to 4.39) after 20.1 years. Of the subscores, associations were strongest for arithmetic reasoning.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maternal hypertensive disorders in pregnancy predict lower cognitive ability and greater cognitive decline up to old age. Multidisciplinary research is essential in order to uncover the mechanisms linking hypertensive pregnancy disorders with lower cognitive abilities in the offspring.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioral Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tuovinen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioral Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Räikkönen
authors.affiliation: Department of Chronic Disease Prevention, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kajantie
authors.affiliation: Centre for Military Medicine, Finnish Defence Forces, Lahti, Finland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Henriksson
authors.affiliation: National Defence College, Finnish Defence Forces, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leskinen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioral Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: A-K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Pesonen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioral Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Heinonen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioral Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lahti
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioral Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pyhälä
authors.affiliation: Department of Chronic Disease Prevention, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Alastalo
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioral Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lahti
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Epidemiology Resource Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Osmond
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Epidemiology Resource Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Barker
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice and Primary health Care, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Eriksson