Abstract
Background: In children being taller is associated with higher blood pressure (BP), but few studies have divided height into its components: trunk and leg length. We examined the associations of total height, trunk length and leg length with systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP) and pulse pressure (PP) at early childhood and midchildhood visits, as well as change between the two visits. Methods: We obtained five measures of SBP and DBP at the early childhood visit (N=1153, follow-up rate=54%) and at the mid-childhood visit (N=1086, follow-up rate=51%) respectively, in Project Viva, a US cohort study. We measured total height and sitting height (a measure of trunk length that includes head and neck) and calculated leg length as the difference between the two. Using mixed models, we adjusted the cross-sectional analyses for leg length when trunk length was the exposure of interest, and vice versa. We also adjusted for maternal race/ethnicity, child age, sex, overall adiposity and BP measurement conditions. Results: At the mid-childhood visit, total height was positively associated with SBP [0.34 (0.24; 0.45) mmHg/cm] but not with DBP [0.07 (-0.003; 0.15)]. In models examining trunk and leg length separately, each was positively associated with SBP [0.72 (0.52; 0.92) and 0.33 (0.16; 0.49) respectively]. In a fully adjusted model with both leg and trunk length, only trunk length remained associated with BP. For a given leg length, a 1-cm increment in trunk length was associated with a 0.63-mmHg (0.42; 0.83) higher SBP and a 0.17-mmHg (0.02; 0.31) higher DBP. For a given trunk length, however, the associations of leg length with SBP [0.13 (-0.03; 0.30)] and with DBP [0.002 (-0.11; 0.12)] were null. These patterns were similar at the early childhood visit. Conclusions: Children with greater trunk lengths have higher BPs, perhaps because of the additional pressure needed to overcome gravity to perfuse the brain.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | dyt248 |
| Pages (from-to) | 149-159 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | International Journal of Epidemiology |
| Volume | 43 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Feb 1 2014 |
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Keywords
- Blood pressure
- Child
- Leg length
- Longitudinal studies
- Trunk length
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Epidemiology
Cite this
Components of height and blood pressure in childhood. / Regnault, Nolwenn; Kleinman, Ken P.; Rifas-Shiman, Sheryl L.; Langenberg, Claudia; Lipshultz, Steven E; Gillman, Matthew W.
In: International Journal of Epidemiology, Vol. 43, No. 1, dyt248, 01.02.2014, p. 149-159.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Components of height and blood pressure in childhood
AU - Regnault, Nolwenn
AU - Kleinman, Ken P.
AU - Rifas-Shiman, Sheryl L.
AU - Langenberg, Claudia
AU - Lipshultz, Steven E
AU - Gillman, Matthew W.
PY - 2014/2/1
Y1 - 2014/2/1
N2 - Background: In children being taller is associated with higher blood pressure (BP), but few studies have divided height into its components: trunk and leg length. We examined the associations of total height, trunk length and leg length with systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP) and pulse pressure (PP) at early childhood and midchildhood visits, as well as change between the two visits. Methods: We obtained five measures of SBP and DBP at the early childhood visit (N=1153, follow-up rate=54%) and at the mid-childhood visit (N=1086, follow-up rate=51%) respectively, in Project Viva, a US cohort study. We measured total height and sitting height (a measure of trunk length that includes head and neck) and calculated leg length as the difference between the two. Using mixed models, we adjusted the cross-sectional analyses for leg length when trunk length was the exposure of interest, and vice versa. We also adjusted for maternal race/ethnicity, child age, sex, overall adiposity and BP measurement conditions. Results: At the mid-childhood visit, total height was positively associated with SBP [0.34 (0.24; 0.45) mmHg/cm] but not with DBP [0.07 (-0.003; 0.15)]. In models examining trunk and leg length separately, each was positively associated with SBP [0.72 (0.52; 0.92) and 0.33 (0.16; 0.49) respectively]. In a fully adjusted model with both leg and trunk length, only trunk length remained associated with BP. For a given leg length, a 1-cm increment in trunk length was associated with a 0.63-mmHg (0.42; 0.83) higher SBP and a 0.17-mmHg (0.02; 0.31) higher DBP. For a given trunk length, however, the associations of leg length with SBP [0.13 (-0.03; 0.30)] and with DBP [0.002 (-0.11; 0.12)] were null. These patterns were similar at the early childhood visit. Conclusions: Children with greater trunk lengths have higher BPs, perhaps because of the additional pressure needed to overcome gravity to perfuse the brain.
AB - Background: In children being taller is associated with higher blood pressure (BP), but few studies have divided height into its components: trunk and leg length. We examined the associations of total height, trunk length and leg length with systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP) and pulse pressure (PP) at early childhood and midchildhood visits, as well as change between the two visits. Methods: We obtained five measures of SBP and DBP at the early childhood visit (N=1153, follow-up rate=54%) and at the mid-childhood visit (N=1086, follow-up rate=51%) respectively, in Project Viva, a US cohort study. We measured total height and sitting height (a measure of trunk length that includes head and neck) and calculated leg length as the difference between the two. Using mixed models, we adjusted the cross-sectional analyses for leg length when trunk length was the exposure of interest, and vice versa. We also adjusted for maternal race/ethnicity, child age, sex, overall adiposity and BP measurement conditions. Results: At the mid-childhood visit, total height was positively associated with SBP [0.34 (0.24; 0.45) mmHg/cm] but not with DBP [0.07 (-0.003; 0.15)]. In models examining trunk and leg length separately, each was positively associated with SBP [0.72 (0.52; 0.92) and 0.33 (0.16; 0.49) respectively]. In a fully adjusted model with both leg and trunk length, only trunk length remained associated with BP. For a given leg length, a 1-cm increment in trunk length was associated with a 0.63-mmHg (0.42; 0.83) higher SBP and a 0.17-mmHg (0.02; 0.31) higher DBP. For a given trunk length, however, the associations of leg length with SBP [0.13 (-0.03; 0.30)] and with DBP [0.002 (-0.11; 0.12)] were null. These patterns were similar at the early childhood visit. Conclusions: Children with greater trunk lengths have higher BPs, perhaps because of the additional pressure needed to overcome gravity to perfuse the brain.
KW - Blood pressure
KW - Child
KW - Leg length
KW - Longitudinal studies
KW - Trunk length
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84896818211&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84896818211&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/ije/dyt248
DO - 10.1093/ije/dyt248
M3 - Article
C2 - 24413933
AN - SCOPUS:84896818211
VL - 43
SP - 149
EP - 159
JO - International Journal of Epidemiology
JF - International Journal of Epidemiology
SN - 0300-5771
IS - 1
M1 - dyt248
ER -