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Oral contraceptive use in girls and alcohol consumption in boys are associated with increased blood pressure in late adolescence
METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis on 1248 Raine Study adolescents aged 17 years, to examine associations between lifestyle factors and BP.
RESULTS: Boys had 8.97 mmHg higher systolic BP, as compared with girls. The 30% of girls using oral contraceptives (OC) had 3.27 and 1.74 mmHg higher systolic and diastolic BP, respectively, compared with non-users. Alcohol consumption in boys, increasing body mass index (BMI) and the sodium-potassium ratio were associated with systolic BP. We found a continuous relationship between BMI and systolic BP in both genders; however, the gradient of this relationship was significantly steeper in boys, compared with girls not taking OC. In boys, systolic BP was 5.7 mmHg greater in alcohol consumers who were in the upper quartile of BMI and the urinary sodium-potassium ratio compared with teetotallers in the lowest quartile. In girls, systolic BP was 5.5 mmHg higher in those taking OC, in the highest BMI and urinary sodium-potassium ratio quartile as compared to those not taking the OC pill and in the lowest quartile.
CONCLUSION: In addition to gender-related differences in the effects of adiposity on BP, we found lifestyle-related health behaviours such as high salt intake for both sexes, consumption of alcohol in boys, and OC use in girls were important factors associated with BP measurements in late adolescence. This suggests that gender-specific behavioural modification in adolescence may prevent adult hypertension.
History
Publication title
European Journal of Preventive CardiologyVolume
20Issue
6Pagination
947-955ISSN
2047-4873Department/School
Menzies Institute for Medical ResearchPublisher
Sage Publications Ltd.Place of publication
United KingdomRepository Status
- Restricted