Blood pressure and hypertension in middle-aged women in relation to weightand length at birth: a follow-up study

Objectives To examine the relationship between indicators at birth and adul t blood pressure and risk for developing hypertension at two age levels. Design Original midwife records of 438 women born at term participating in a prospective population study in Goteborg, Sweden with blood pressure and hypertension assessment at both 50 and 60 years of age. Results Systolic blood pressure at both age levels showed a U-shaped relati onship to weight and length at birth. Hypertension prevalence at 60 years w as significantly and inversely related to both weight and length at birth, but not at 50 years. Significantly higher risk for hypertension was found i n the lowest birth weight quintile [odds ratio (OR)= 2.0, 95% confidence in terval (CI) 1.1-3.8] and lowest birth length tertile (OR = 1.8, 95% CI 1.1- 3.0), in relation to the middle quintile/tertile, with or without adjustmen t for adult body size (as body mass index), at 60 years but not at 50 years , At 50 years, hypertension risk decreased by 3% (95% CI 0.92-1.01) for eve ry 100 g increase in birth weight and 6% (95% CI 0.83-1.05) per cm birth le ngth. At age 60 years, hypertension risk decreased by 4% (95% CI 0.92-0.99) per 100 g birth weight and 10% (95% CI 0.81-0.99) per cm length. Conclusions Size at birth was a predictor of hypertension risk in women at 60 years but not 50 years. This study supports the hypothesis that poor fet al growth, as measured by low weight or length at birth, may contribute to the development of hypertension in later life and that this relationship be came stronger with age. (C) 2000 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.