engleski

OBESITY IS AN IMPORTANT DETERMINANT OF SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE IN YOUNG MEN BORN SMALL FOR GESTATION AGE

Objective: Recent reports have shown that concurrent obesity influences blood pressure (BP) phenotype in children born small for gestational age (SGA). Our aim was to investigate the impact of obesity and birth weight on blood pressure (BP) values in young adult men. Subjects and Methods: Young, healthy, normotensive non-treated adult men (N = 185 ; mean age 21.29 + 0.9) years were enrolled. Birth parameters were obtained from medical records. SGA was defined as birth weight (BW) under 10th percentile for gestational age and obesity as BMI > 25 kg/m2. According to the presence or absence of obesity and BW the subjects were divided into four groups: (1) non- obese with normal BW (N = 50), (2) obese with normal BW (N = 40), (3) non-obese SGA (N = 67), (4) obese SGA (N = 28). BP was measured using oscillometric manometer (Omron M6) and Spacelab 90207 device following the ESH/ESC guidelines, and the average 24-hour, daytime and nighttime systolic and diastolic BP values, blood pressure load (BPL), dipper vs. non-dipper status, BP variability (estimated as standard deviation), heart rate and pulse pressure (PP) values were analysed. Results: Systolic BP, 24-hour BP variability and pulse pressure were significantly higher in subjects with SGA than in those born with normal BW (p < 0.05). The highest office, 24-hour and daytime systolic BP values as well as systolic 24-hour BPL and PP were found in the subgroup of obese SGA subjects (p < 0.0001). Significant differences for the above parameters were observed between the obese SGA obese and non-obese SGA group (p < 0.001), as well between the obese SGA compared to the obese subjects with normal BW (p < 0.001) However, no difference was found in BP between the non-obese SGA and non- obese group with normal BW (p > 0.05). Conclusion: In addition to birth weight and shorter pregnancy duration obesity concurrently and significantly determines systolic BP in young normotensive men and may contribute to the early vascular ageing. Our findings are in agreement with the results obtained in children and point to a need for aggressive implementation of healthy lifestyle as early as possible in the population subset particularly prone to develop hypertension.

obesity; blood pressure; intrauterine growth retardation

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