title: Preterm at birth is not associated with greater cardiovascular risk in adolescence.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effects of preterm birth and gender on subsequent cardiovascular risk factors among urban adolescents in a capital in the Brazilian northeast and to compare them with a group of adolescents term at birth.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a retrospective double cohort, data of birth weight were extracted from hospital registers of children born in a same day of birth, between 1992 and 2002. We classified the preterm as a unique group born before 37 weeks of gestation. A total of 134 adolescents, aged 10-20 years were found and investigated. We measured anthropometric and clinical data, blood lipid profile and glucose after overnight fasting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Preterm subjects had less years of scholar education, especially between females (p = 0.01). Preterm females also had lower height (p = 0.00) and waist-hip circumference ratio (p = 0.01). Preterm males had lower cesarean delivery (p = 0.05) and greater family history of cardiovascular disease (p = 0.05). Although the differences on clinical or laboratorial measurements were small and non-significant for cardiovascular risk factors, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) tended to be higher in preterm groups, especially for females (SBP = 4.1 mmHg and DBP = 1.6 mmHg, p = 0.12 and p = 0.38, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Premature did not increase cardiovascular risk adolescents in this sample. The lower association between premature and poor health outcomes among adolescents in a low average socioeconomic status population from a capital in the Brazilian northeast corroborates previous findings in other countries.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Community Health, School of Medicine , Federal University of Ceará (UFC) , Fortaleza - CE , Brazil .
authors.forename: Priscila Jesus Santos
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.affiliation: b Department of Obstetrics, Paulista School of Medicine , Federal University of São Paulo (EPM-UNIFESP) , São Paulo - SP , Brazil , and.
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Araujo Júnior
authors.affiliation: a Department of Community Health, School of Medicine , Federal University of Ceará (UFC) , Fortaleza - CE , Brazil .
authors.forename: Ana Ciléia Pinto Teixeira
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Henriques
authors.affiliation: c Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Medicine , Federal University of Ceará (UFC) , Fortaleza - CE , Brazil.
authors.forename: Francisco Herlânio Costa
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Carvalho
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D047928:Premature Birth; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014505:Urban Population
keywords: Adolescence; anthropometry; cardiovascular risk; preterm