Does preterm birth influence cardiovascular risk in early adulthood?

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular epidemiology
• Perinatal health outcomes
• Public health

Background:

• Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a leading cause of mortality worldwide.
• Preterm birth, defined as birth before 36 weeks of gestation, affects a significant number of newborns.
• The long-term impact of preterm birth on cardiovascular health, independent of birth size, requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between preterm birth and cardiovascular disease risk factors in young adulthood.
• To differentiate the effects of preterm birth from those of small-for-gestational-age status on cardiovascular parameters.
• To assess cardiovascular risk markers such as blood pressure, heart rate, and arterial stiffness in relation to gestational age.

Main Methods:

• An observational study involving 406 healthy young adults (18-24 years) from existing cohorts.
• Analysis of associations between gestational age (GA) and cardiovascular parameters including systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), pulse pressure (PP), blood pressure variability, heart rate (HR), pulse wave velocity, and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT).
• Subgroup analyses were performed to distinguish the effects of preterm birth and small-for-gestational-age status.

Main Results:

• Young adults born preterm exhibited higher unadjusted SBP, PP, SBP and DBP variability, and HR compared to those born at term.
• Gestational age was inversely associated with SBP, PP, blood pressure variability, and HR, and positively associated with DBP, even after adjusting for confounders.
• No significant effect of GA was observed on pulse wave velocity or cIMT, although higher PP showed the strongest association with cIMT.

Conclusions:

• Preterm birth may be associated with an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease in young adulthood.
• These findings highlight the importance of monitoring cardiovascular health in individuals born preterm.
• Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms linking preterm birth to long-term cardiovascular risk.