Association of lifetime blood pressure with adulthood exercise blood pressure response: the cardiovascular risk in young Finns study

Figures & data

Table 1. Baseline and follow-up characteristics of study participants.

Variable	EEBP −	EEBP +	p Value
n (males/females)	209 (80/129)	197 (109/88)	0.001
Childhood
Age, years	11.6 (4.0)	12.4 (4.1)	0.044
Height, cm	147.7 (19.0)	151.9 (19.8)	0.817
BMI, kg/m^2	17.8 (2.9)	18.4 (3.1)	0.389
SBP, mmHg	108 (11)	113 (11)	<0.001
DBP, mmHg	68 (10)	69 (11)	0.378
BP status, n (%)
Normal	144 (68.9)	99 (50.3)
Elevated	65 (31.1)	98 (49.7)	<0.001
Adulthood
Age, years	38.6 (4.0)	39.4 (4.1)	0.044
Height, cm	171.5 (9.3)	173.7 (8.6)	0.795
BMI, kg/m^2	24.7 (4.0)	26.8 (4.2)	<0.001
SBP, mmHg	110 (11)	124 (14)	<0.001
DBP, mmHg	68 (10)	76 (11)	<0.001
BP status, n (%)
Normal	167 (79.9)	79 (40.1)
Elevated	42 (20.1)	118 (59.9)	<0.001
Exercise test
Peak SBP, mmHg	182 (17)	222 (18)	<0.001
Peak DBP, mmHg	87 (11)	99 (13)	<0.001
Peak HR, 1/min	175 (12)	176 (13)	0.377
Peak VO2, mL·kg^−1·min^−1	30.6 (7.7)	29.9 (8.8)	0.010
Maximal METs, 1 MET = 3.5 mL*kg^−1*min^−1	8.7 (2.2)	8.6 (2.5)	0.010

EEBP- was defined as peak exercise systolic blood pressure ≤210 mmHg for men and ≤190 mmHg for women, and EEBP + as peak exercise systolic blood pressure >210 mmHg for men and >190 mmHg for women. Values are mean (SD) for continuous variables or n (%) for dichotomous variables unless stated otherwise. Comparisons between groups were performed using age and sex adjusted linear regression analyses for continuous variables and and χ² tests for categorical variables.

EEBP: exaggerated exercise blood pressure; BMI: body mass index; SBP: systolic blood pressure; DBP: diastolic blood pressure; BP: blood pressure; HR: heart rate; VO₂: oxygen consumption; METs: metabolic equivalents.

Table 2. Relative risks and 95% confidence intervals of exaggerated exercise blood pressure according to blood pressure group in childhood and adulthood.

	ICBPREC criteria				NHBPEP criteria
Child-adult BP group*	n/N	RR	95% CI	p	n/N	RR	95% CI	p
Control	26/130	1.00	Ref	Ref	42/162	1.00	Ref	Ref
Resolution	53/116	2.17	1.35–3.50	0.001	37/84	1.66	1.05–2.60	0.029
Incident	44/64	3.03	1.77–5.17	<0.001	57/81	2.34	1.51–3.64	<0.001
Persistent	74/96	3.32	2.05–5.40	<0.001	61/79	2.65	1.73–4.06	<0.001

All analyses adjusted for age, sex, adult BMI, VO₂peak, and adult maximum exercise heart rate. BMI indicates body mass index; BP: blood pressure; CI: confidence interval; ICBPREC: International Child Blood Pressure References Establishment Consortium; n: number of subjects having exaggerated exercise blood pressure; N: number of subjects in the group; NHBPEP: National High Blood Pressure Education Program; RR: relative risk.

*Elevated child BP was defined by ICBPREC Criteria (systolic or diastolic BP were ≥90th percentile by using the ICBPREC tables for age, sex, and height) or by NHBPEP Criteria (systolic or diastolic BP were ≥90th percentile by using the NHBPEP tables for age, sex, and height). Adult BP was classified as elevated if systolic BP ≥120 mm Hg or diastolic BP ≥80 mm Hg. In addition, adult BP status was considered elevated among those self-reporting the use of antihypertensive medications. BP groups were as follows: control group, normal BP in childhood and normal BP in adulthood; resolution group, elevated BP in childhood but not in adulthood; incident group, normal BP in childhood, but elevated BP in adulthood; and persistent group, elevated BP in childhood and adulthood.