Title
Exposure to famine during gestation, size at birth, and blood pressure at age 59 y: Evidence from the dutch famine
Author
Stein, A.D.
Zybert, P.A.
van der Pal-de Bruin, K.M.
Lumey, L.H.
TNO Kwaliteit van Leven
Publication year
2006
Abstract
We compared blood pressure of individuals (mean age 59 y) born in western Holland between January 1945 and March 1946 (mothers exposed to the Dutch Famine before or during gestation; n = 359) to blood pressure of unexposed individuals born before or conceived after the famine (n = 299) or same-sex siblings of subjects in series 1 or 2 (n = 313). Mean (SD) systolic and diastolic blood pressure were 140.3 (20.3) and 85.8 (11.0) mmHg, respectively; prevalence of hypertension (prior diagnosis of hypertension or with measured systolic/diastolic blood pressure above 140/90 mmHg) was 61.8%. Birth weight was inversely related to systolic (-4.14 mmHg per kg; 95% confidence interval (CI) -7.24, -1.03; p < 0.01) and diastolic (-2.09 mmHg per kg; 95% CI -3.77, -0.41; p < 0.05) blood pressure and to the prevalence of hypertension (odds ratio 0.67 per kg, 95% CI: 0.49, 0.93) (all age- and sex-adjusted). Any famine exposure of at least 10 weeks duration was associated with elevated systolic (2.77 mmHg; 95% CI 0.25, 5.30; p < 0.05) and diastolic (1.27 mmHg; 95% CI -0.13, 2.66; p = 0.08) blood pressure and with hypertension prevalence (odds ratio 1.44; 95% CI 1.04, 2.00; p < 0.05) in age- and sex-adjusted models. Exposure to famine during gestation may predispose to the development of hypertension in middle age. © 2006 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
Subject
Health
Jeugd en Gezondheid
Blood pressure
Cohort
Famine
Netherlands
Nutrition
Birth Weight
Blood Pressure
Female
Fetal Nutrition Disorders
Humans
Hypertension
Male
Maternal Nutrition Physiology
Middle Aged
Netherlands
Pregnancy
Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
Starvation
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DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-006-9065-2
TNO identifier
239528
ISSN
0393-2990
Source
European Journal of Epidemiology, 21 (10), 759-765
Document type
article