Originally published January 12 2006
Premature birth can contribute to high blood pressure as men grow older
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
The medical journal Circulation has published a study that found increased rates of high blood pressure among young men who were born prematurely.
Premature baby boys may be more likely to have high blood pressure as young adults, a Swedish study shows.
If confirmed, the finding may mean it's a good idea to routinely track blood pressure in premature babies, write the researchers.
They included Stefan Johansson, MD, of Sweden's Karolinska Institute.
Johansson's team checked the birth records and blood pressure of more than 329,000 young Swedish men when the men were drafted for Sweden's military.
Elevation in blood pressure makes the heart work harder and increases the risk of heart attacks and heart failure.
High blood pressure also increases the risk of diseases such as kidney disease, stroke, and eye damage.
One in five men had high systolic blood pressure, the study shows.
The earlier the men had been born, the greater their odds of having high systolic blood pressure.
Men who had been born extremely early (24-28 weeks) were nearly twice as likely to have high systolic blood pressure as young adults, compared with those who had been born at full term (37-41 weeks).
Patterns weren't as strong for preterm birth and diastolic blood pressure (the second number in a blood pressure reading).
No women were studied, so the results might not extend to baby girls, the researchers note.
Breast milk might offer some blood pressure advantages for premature babies, note Johansson and colleagues.
They cite a study published by other researchers in 2001.
Those who had been breastfed as babies had lower blood pressure as teens, compared with those who had been fed formula.
The topic needs more study but perhaps "the risk for high blood pressure in adults born preterm could already be modulated in the neonatal nursery," writes Johansson's team.
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