Blood pressure linked to birth weight

People who were relatively light at birth, and who had an unprivileged childhood, are likely to have high blood pressure as adults.Previous reports did show a link between low birth weight and high blood pressure, in adulthood. However, contrary to some reports, there was no evidence that the high adult blood pressure increased further with advancing age. The researchers from the Royal Free and University College Medical School, London based their information on a study of 3,634 people who were born in the UK in 1946. The participants were contacted regularly from birth onward, and had their blood pressures recorded at 36, 43, and 53 years of age. Systolic blood pressure (the "top" reading) rose between the ages of 36 and 53 years as birth weight dropped. In contrast, birth weight did not relate to adult diastolic blood pressure (the "bottom" reading).

Lower socio-economic class during childhood was tied to higher systolic and diastolic blood pressures in adulthood. Although the effect of socio-economic class on blood pressure seemed to rise with age, so did the subjects' current body weight. This increase in weight largely accounted for the increase in blood pressure. These findings suggest that weight control throughout life is key to prevention of raised blood pressure during middle age. Understanding the link between early childhood socio-economic environment and adult obesity could make this strategy more effective.

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