Study links high blood pressure to hormone levels in the womb
18 May 2009
Elderly people with high blood pressure had high levels of the hormone aldosterone - linked to the control of blood pressure - in their bloodstreams, found researchers from the Universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow and Southampton. The pattern was unaffected by lifestyle factors such as diet and obesity.
Furthermore, those born with a low birthweight had much higher levels of aldosterone. Low birthweight has previously been associated with the development of developing high blood pressure later in life.
"It is well known that factors such as stress, diet and obesity play a major role in whether we suffer from high blood pressure but this may suggest why certain people have higher blood pressure than others," said Dr Rebecca Reynolds from the University of Edinburgh, who led the study.
"Our findings suggest that the mechanisms that set up how aldosterone is regulated start in early life and this may have an impact on whether we have an increased risk of high blood pressure in later life."
The study looked at the over 300 men and women born in Hertfordshire between 1920 and 1930, each undergoing a variety of tests. The researchers noted the recorded birthweights for each subject and analysed blood samples for levels of aldosterone.
The findings suggest that the body's system for regulating aldosterone and blood pressure levels is established in the womb. They also provide further evidence to support treatments targeting aldosterone levels as a way to reduce high blood pressure.
Image: Composite artwork of a human foetus inside its membranes; Chris Nurse, Wellcome Images
References
Reynolds RM et al. Programming of hypertension: Associations of plasma aldosterone in adult men and women with birthweight, cortisol, and blood pressure. Hypertension, 20 April 2009 [published online before print].