Umbilical Cord Glucocorticoids and Blood Pressure at Age 3
Author Information
Author(s): Susanna Y Huh, Ruth Andrew, Janet W Rich-Edwards, Ken P Kleinman, Jonathan R Seckl, Matthew W Gillman
Primary Institution: Children's Hospital Boston
Hypothesis
A higher ratio of cortisol to cortisone in umbilical venous cord blood, reflecting decreased 11β-HSD2 activity, would be associated with lower birth weight and raised blood pressure in childhood.
Conclusion
A higher F/E ratio in umbilical venous cord blood was associated with higher systolic blood pressure at age 3 years.
Supporting Evidence
- A higher F/E ratio was associated with a 1.6 mm Hg increase in systolic BP.
- The F/E ratio was not associated with diastolic blood pressure or birth weight for gestational age z-score.
- Mean systolic blood pressure was 93.3 mm Hg at age 3 years.
Takeaway
If babies have more cortisol than cortisone in their umbilical cord blood, they might have higher blood pressure when they grow up.
Methodology
Measured cortisol and cortisone in venous cord blood and assessed blood pressure at age 3 using mixed effects regression models.
Potential Biases
Potential selection bias due to loss to follow-up.
Limitations
The study used a proxy for enzymatic activity and measured glucocorticoids only at a single time point.
Participant Demographics
Most mothers had a high level of income and education; 51% of children were male.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.05
Confidence Interval
95% CI 0.0 to 3.1
Statistical Significance
p=0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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