BIRTH-WEIGHT VERSUS CHILDHOOD GROWTH AS DETERMINANTS OF ADULT-BLOOD PRESSURE

In older white American adults, recent retrospective studies have demo nstrated a relationship between lower birth weight and hypertension. B lack Americans have a higher occurrence of both lower birth weight and hypertension than do white Americans. To test the low birth weight-hi gh blood pressure hypothesis, data from a prospective study (Perinatal Collaborative Project) were examined. The study folio-wed a sample of 137 black Americans, with nine examinations. Data on birth weight, gr owth, and blood pressure from birth through 28.0+/-2.7 years were obta ined longitudinally. Bivariate correlations among parameters were comp uted with the Pearson r. Birth weight and blood pressure at age 28 yea rs are not correlated (Pearson r=.06). However, systolic blood pressur es measured at 0.3 years and thereafter are correlated with adult syst olic blood pressure, Also, weight at 0.3 years and body mass index at 7 years and thereafter are correlated with adult weight. Our data did not confirm the birth weight-blood pressure hypothesis. Rather, we det ected significant correlations between preadult measurements of blood pressure and weight with adult measurements. These results indicate th at in black Americans, childhood growth is a stronger determinant than intrauterine growth of adult blood pressure.