Long-Term Blood Pressure Exposure From Childhood and Early Vascular Aging in Midlife: A 30-Year Prospective Cohort Study. (October 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yan, Yu; Cao, Yu; Ma, Qiong; Wang, Keke; Liao, Yueyuan; Sun, Yue; Chen, Chen; Hu, Jiawen; Zheng, Wenling; Chu, Chao; Wang, Yang; Mu, Jianjun
• Is Part Of: Angiology. Volume 73:Number 9(2022)
• Page Start: 869
• Page End: 876
• Publication Date: 2022-10
• Subjects: vascular aging -- blood pressure -- long-term burden -- longitudinal cohort; Blood-vessels -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Cardiovascular system -- Diseases -- Periodicals; 616.13005
• DOI: 10.1177/00033197221082712
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0003-3197

Abstract

Early vascular aging (EVA) increases cardiovascular mortality, but its long-term determinants are unknown. We included 2098 participants with ≥4 blood pressure (BP) measurements from childhood to adulthood (from the Hanzhong Adolescent Hypertension Cohort study) to investigate the impact of child-to-adult cumulative BP exposure on EVA patterns in midlife. Participants with EVA had significantly higher long-term BP burden than those with normal vascular age in midlife despite being much younger. Child-to-adult cumulative burden and trends of systolic and diastolic BP were associated with vascular age (standardized regression coefficient [β] = .31 to .53; P < .001 for all). Higher cumulative systolic and diastolic BP exposure significantly increased the risk of EVA in midlife (odds ratio, OR=1.67 to 2.75, P < .05 for all). All associations were independent of socio-demographics and cardiovascular risk factors. Excluding participants who were receiving anti-hypertensive, antidiabetic, or lipid-lowering treatments did not substantially change the above associations. This study, for the first time, reported that high cumulative child-to-adult BP exposure accelerated the vascular aging process. Stabilizing BP across life course could be beneficial to vascular health in the long run.