Respective Roles of Preterm Birth and Fetal Growth Restriction in Blood Pressure and Arterial Stiffness in Adolescence

Abstract

Recent studies show that low birth weight infants are at a risk of increased arterial blood pressure (BP) in adulthood. This study aimed to distinguish the influence of low birth weight either as a result of fetal growth restriction or preterm birth on arterial properties in adolescents. The effect of low birth weight on BP and arterial stiffness was examined among 90 adolescents aged 14 years who were either born at term with an appropriate birth weight for gestational age (controls, n = 41); born preterm with an appropriate birth weight for gestational age (n = 25); or born at term and small for gestational age (SGA) (n = 24). The pulse wave velocity between the carotid and radial arteries was measured to assess arterial stiffness. As compared with control subjects, adolescents born with low birth weight as a result of preterm birth were found to have increased systolic BP and carotid-radial pulse wave velocity (117 ± 11 mm Hg vs. 123 ± 11 mm Hg, p = .04 and 7.0 ± .9 m/s vs. 7.7 ± 1.0 m/s, p = .01, respectively), whereas those who were born at term and SGA exhibited values similar to the controls (114 ± 15 mm Hg and 6.8 ± .9 m/s). Preterm birth, rather than being SGA at term, increases BP and arterial stiffness in adolescents.