Pubertal timing and a family history of hypertension: Prospective cohort study.
BACKGROUND
Hypertension is heritable, and genetic factors likely exert an effect from childhood. Puberty is an early life milestone that may relate to adult hypertension. Therefore, this study examined whether there is an association between a family history of hypertension and pubertal growth.


METHODS
The participants were children from a prospective cohort study called Project Koshu, who were born between 1991 and 1998 in Japan. Data on family history of hypertension, maternal characteristics, birth and early life factors were collected from the questionnaire administered to the mothers at the time of pregnancy registration or medical check-up. Child age at peak height velocity (early or non-early) was calculated from the anthropometric data collected during annual school check-up.


RESULTS
Data on 919 children (479 boys and 440 girls) were included in the analysis; 478 participants had a family history of hypertension. After adjustment for potential confounders (birth month, maternal body mass index, maternal work status, maternal education, and paternal education), early age at peak height velocity was found to be associated with a family history of hypertension (OR, 1.52; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04-2.24; P = 0.03) and specifically, with having at least one maternal hypertensive relative (OR, 1.81; 95%CI: 1.23-2.68; P = 0.003).


CONCLUSIONS
Together with previous reports on the relationship between puberty and adult hypertension, the present results suggest that the timing of pubertal growth is involved in the process of hypertension development in people with a family history of hypertension. Further confirmative studies are needed.
Department of Health Sciences, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, University of Yamanashi, Chuo, Yamanishi, Japan.
Wei
W
Zheng
Department of Health Sciences, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, University of Yamanashi, Chuo, Yamanishi, Japan.
Kohta
K
Suzuki
Center for Birth Cohorts Studies, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, University of Yamanashi, Chuo, Yamanishi, Japan.
Miri
M
Sato
Department of Health Sciences, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, University of Yamanashi, Chuo, Yamanishi, Japan.
Hiroshi
H
Yokomichi
Center for Birth Cohorts Studies, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, University of Yamanashi, Chuo, Yamanishi, Japan.
Ryoji
R
Shinohara
Department of Health Sciences, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, University of Yamanashi, Chuo, Yamanishi, Japan.|Center for Birth Cohorts Studies, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, University of Yamanashi, Chuo, Yamanishi, Japan.
Zentaro
Z
Yamagata
D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011627:Puberty / Q000502:physiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012741:Sexual Maturation / Q000502:physiology*
children; cohort study; family history; hypertension; puberty