Artery Research

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Volume 12, Issue C, December 2015, Pages 42 - 42

2.5 IN SINGLETONS BORN AT TERM, LOWER GESTATIONAL AGE IS ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED AORTIC PULSE WAVE VELOCITY IN YOUNG ADULTHOOD: THE NORTHERN IRELAND YOUNG HEARTS PROJECT (NIYHP)

Authors
Isabel Ferreira*1, Alison Gallagher2, Liam Murray3, Colin Boreham4
1School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
2Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health (NICHE), School of Biomedical Sciences, Ulster University, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
3Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Queens University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
4Institute for Sport and Health, School of Public Health, Physiotherapy & Population Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Available Online 23 November 2015.
DOI
10.1016/j.artres.2015.10.012How to use a DOI?
Abstract

Decreases in the mean gestational age of babies born at term have been reported over the past decade in several developed countries, linked to increases in the rates of planned births by labour induction and/or pre-labour caesarean sections. In contrast to the effects of pre-term birth, the extent to which lower gestation age within the ‘at-term’ range (i.e. ≥37–≤42 weeks) affects individuals’ cardiovascular heath is largely unknown, however. We have therefore examined the association between gestational age (obtained from the Northern Ireland Child Health Services’ records) and aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV) in 351 young adults from the NIYHP (50.4% women, mean age of 22.4 ± 1.6 years, all singletons and born at term, 98% with birth weight>2.5 kg). In analyses adjusted for age, sex, birth weight (in SDs relative to UK’s 1990 reference), birth order, breast-feeding, maternal and paternal age at child’s birth, and social economic status, we found that each week increase in gestational age was significantly associated with lower levels of aPWV [standardized ß = −0.11 (95% CI:−0.21;−0.01, p = 0.039)]. Additional adjustments for individuals’ adult BMI and mean arterial pressure did not appreciably affect this association. None of the other birth covariates were independently associated with aPWV. These findings suggest that lower gestational age, even within the at-term range, may be a key determinant of early vascular ageing as each additional week conferred benefits. This aspect may have been neglected by the over-simplistic characterization of individuals as ‘born at-term’ and may have clinical implications for policies around planned deliveries, given the current trends.

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Journal
Artery Research
Volume-Issue
12 - C
Pages
42 - 42
Publication Date
2015/11/23
ISSN (Online)
1876-4401
ISSN (Print)
1872-9312
DOI
10.1016/j.artres.2015.10.012How to use a DOI?
Open Access
This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license.

Cite this article

risenwbib
TY  - JOUR
AU  - Isabel Ferreira*
AU  - Alison Gallagher
AU  - Liam Murray
AU  - Colin Boreham
PY  - 2015
DA  - 2015/11/23
TI  - 2.5 IN SINGLETONS BORN AT TERM, LOWER GESTATIONAL AGE IS ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED AORTIC PULSE WAVE VELOCITY IN YOUNG ADULTHOOD: THE NORTHERN IRELAND YOUNG HEARTS PROJECT (NIYHP)
JO  - Artery Research
SP  - 42
EP  - 42
VL  - 12
IS  - C
SN  - 1876-4401
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.artres.2015.10.012
DO  - 10.1016/j.artres.2015.10.012
ID  - Ferreira*2015
ER  -