Association Analysis: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and Hypertension Status in Children and Adolescents

BACKGROUND: This study examined the relationship between prenatal exposure to alcohol, manifested through fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and pFAS, and hypertension in children and adolescents. METHODS: This study was designed to analyze the association between fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) Status and hypertension status. FAS/pFAS-diagnosed respondents (n = 125) were collected from a FASD Clinical database in Atlanta, Georgia. Non-FAS/pFAS respondents (n = 500) were taken from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Chi-square analyses were used to examine the extent to which FASD status, sex, race/ethnicity, medication use, and obesity status each related to hypertension status. A logistic regression was performed analyzing the relationship between FASD status (y/n: independent) and hypertension status (y/n: dependent) while controlling for age, sex, race/ethnicity, medication use, and obesity status. RESULTS: Univariate relationships between hypertension status and FASD status (OR = 8.46, p < 0.001), medication use (OR = 3.25, p < 0.001), and obesity status (OR = 3.03, p = 0.02) proved to be statistically significant (p < 0.05). FASD status significantly predicted hypertension status (β = 2.31, OR = 10.06, p < 0.001) after accounting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, medication use, and obesity status. CONCLUSIONS: The major findings of this study suggest a significant relationship between FASD and hypertension in youth. Race/ethnicity and obesity also proved important in predicting hypertensive blood pressure readings independent of FASD diagnosis. Further research is needed to isolate prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) as a factor promoting increased hypertension and to assess the risk for hypertension in alcohol-affected adults.