Association between birth weight and adult blood pressure in twins: historical cohort study.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To evaluate the associations in twins between within pair differences in birth weight and subsequent blood pressures as adults thereby removing the impact of potential parental confounding variables.

Design

Historical cohort study.

Setting

St Thomas's UK adult twin register, June 1992 to September 1995.

Participants

492 pairs of female twins (mean age 54 years).

Main outcome measures

Mean within pair differences in adult blood pressure in each of four strata of within pair differences in birth weight (0, 1-500 g, 501-1000 g, >1000 g). Differences in blood pressure were analysed before and after adjustment for potential confounders between adult twins, after exclusion of those twin pairs including at least one twin taking antihypertensive drugs

SUBMITTER: Poulter NR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC28278 | biostudies-literature | 1999 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature