Prematurity and cardiovascular risk at early adulthood.
Mary C Sullivan, Suzy Barcelos Winchester, Michael E Msall
PMID 30239014WHAT IT FOUND
Young adults born preterm had higher systolic blood pressure and lower weight than full-term peers, despite no significant differences in most other cardiovascular markers.
High rates of pre-hypertension were observed in both preterm and full-term males, suggesting a broad risk in this age group.
Key findings
01The full-term group had significantly lower systolic blood pressure compared to both healthy and sick preterm groups.
02The sick preterm group had significantly lower weight compared to the full-term and healthy preterm groups.
03There were no significant differences across the three groups in diastolic blood pressure, glucose, lipids, BMI, or waist-hip ratio.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study did not adjust for confounders such as diet or physical activity, which may influence cardiovascular outcomes. More male infants than female infants dropped out of the study, which may bias the results. The sample size limited the ability to detect smaller differences or adjust for multiple variables. Self-reported exercise habits were unreliable due to varying definitions among participants.
Declared interests
The authors indicated they have no personal or financial potential conflicts of interest to disclose.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that only preterm adults are at risk for hypertension. The study found that 75% of full-term males also met the cut-off for pre-hypertension, indicating a high prevalence in this young adult cohort regardless of birth status.