Key result
Having both parents in the highest systolic blood pressure tertile was associated with a 17.9 µm (95% CI: 4.0-31.9) greater carotid intima media thickness in 5-year-old offspring.
Why the study?
Is higher parental systolic blood pressure associated with increased carotid intima media thickness and arterial stiffness in their 5-year-old offspring?
Cohort (n=306)
Is higher parental systolic blood pressure associated with increased carotid intima media thickness and arterial stiffness in their 5-year-old offspring?
Mean Difference: 17.9 (95% CI 4–31.9)
Higher parental systolic blood pressure is associated with thicker and stiffer arterial walls in offspring as early as 5 years of age.
May signal early vascular risk in offspring of hypertensive parents; hypothesis-generating and should not yet change practice.
BACKGROUND: Adolescent offspring of hypertensive parents have increased carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) and arterial stiffness compared with offspring of normotensives. We assessed whether systolic blood pressure (SBP) of both parents is associated with the vasculature of their offspring as early as in childhood. METHODS: In the first 306 5-year-old children of the Wheezing-Illnesses-Study-Leidsche-Rijn birth cohort, CIMT, distensibility, and elastic modulus (EM) were obtained ultrasonographically. In 204 of 306 (67%) children, complete data on both maternal and paternal SBP were obtained from the linked database of the Utrecht Health Project. RESULTS: CIMT of the children was 0.58 µm (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.14, 1.0) greater with every 1-mm Hg higher maternal SBP. Maternal SBP and children's distensibility and EM were more strongly associated, negative and positive respectively, with increasing paternal SBP and vice versa (P value-for-interaction: 0.003 and 0.001, respectively). CIMT of children of whom both parents were in the highest SBP tertile was 17.9 µm (95% CI: 4.0, 31.9) greater compared with the CIMT of children of whom neither one of the parents had a SBP in the highest tertile. For EM and distensibility, these estimates were 20.1 kPa (95% CI: 1.1, 39.2) and -11.6 1/Mpa (95%-CI: -22.9, -0.31), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Higher maternal SBP is related to thicker arterial walls in their 5-year-old offspring. If both parents have higher SBP, the arterial wall of their offspring is thicker and stiffer.
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Evelein et al. (2012) conducted a cohort in Offspring of hypertensive and normotensive parents (n=306). High parental systolic blood pressure vs. Lower parental systolic blood pressure was evaluated on Carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) (MD 17.9 µm, 95% CI 4.0, 31.9). Having both parents in the highest systolic blood pressure tertile was associated with a 17.9 µm (95% CI: 4.0-31.9) greater carotid intima media thickness in 5-year-old offspring.
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