Association between Birth Weight and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Adolescents

Background

Birth weight (BW) is a medium- and long-term risk determinant of cardiovascularrisk factors.

Objective

To assess the association between BW and cardiovascular risk factors inadolescents of the city of Salvador, Bahia state.

Methods

Cross-sectional study with comparison of BW groups. Sample comprising 250adolescents classified according to the BMI as follows: high-normal (≥ 50thpercentile and < 85th percentile); overweight (≥ 85th percentile and <95th percentile); and obesity (≥ 95th percentile). The risk variables comparedwere as follows: waist circumference (WC); arterial blood pressure; lipid profile;glycemia; serum insulin; HOMA-IR; and metabolic syndrome. The BW was informed byparents and classified as follows: low (BW ≤ 2,500g); normal (BW > 2,500g and< 4,000g); and high (BW ≥ 4,000g).

Results

One hundred and fifty-three (61.2%) girls, age 13.74 ± 2.03 years, normal BW80.8%, low BW 8.0%, and high BW 11.2%. The high BW group as compared with thenormal BW group showed a higher frequency of obesity (42.9%, p=0.005), elevatedSBP and DBP (42.9%, p=0.000 and 35.7%, p=0.007, respectively), and metabolicsyndrome (46.4%, p=0.002). High BW adolescents as compared with normal BWadolescents had a prevalence ratio for high SBP 3.3 (95% CI: 1.7-6.4) and obesity2.6 (95% CI: 1.3-5.2). The WC of high BW adolescents was 83.3 ± 10.1 (p=0.038).The lipid profile showed no statistically significant differences.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that obesity, elevated SBP and DBP, and metabolic syndromeduring adolescence might be associated with high BW.