Twenty four-hour blood pressure and cognitive outcomes in adolescents born extremely preterm and at term

Chandelle L Piazza; Lex W Doyle; Leona Pascoe; Rheanna M Mainzer; Michael Takagi; Jeanie L Cheong; Peter J Anderson; Victorian Infant Collaborative Study Group

doi:10.1111/apa.17395

Twenty four-hour blood pressure and cognitive outcomes in adolescents born extremely preterm and at term

Acta Paediatr. 2024 Aug 21. doi: 10.1111/apa.17395. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Chandelle L Piazza^{1

2}, Lex W Doyle^{2

3

4

5}, Leona Pascoe^{1

2}, Rheanna M Mainzer⁶, Michael Takagi^{1

7

8}, Jeanie L Cheong^{2

3

4

5}, Peter J Anderson^{1

2}; Victorian Infant Collaborative Study Group

Affiliations

¹ School of Psychological Sciences, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
² Clinical Sciences, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
³ Neonatal Services, Royal Women's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
⁴ Department of Paediatrics Gynaecology and Newborn Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
⁵ Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Newborn Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
⁶ Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
⁷ Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
⁸ Brain and Mind Research Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.

PMID: 39169648
DOI: 10.1111/apa.17395

Abstract

Aim: To explore the impact of blood pressure on cognitive outcomes at 18 years of age in individuals born extremely preterm (<28 weeks' gestation) and at term (≥37 weeks' gestation).

Methods: Prospective longitudinal cohort comprising 136 young adults born extremely preterm and 120 matched term controls born in Victoria, Australia in 1991 and 1992. Using linear regression, we analysed the relationships between 24-h mean ambulatory blood pressure, systolic and diastolic hypertension with cognitive outcomes.

Results: For both birth groups combined, higher 24-h mean ambulatory blood pressure and systolic hypertension were associated with similar or worse cognitive outcomes. The strongest relationships were between higher 24-h mean ambulatory blood pressure and systolic hypertension with poorer general intellect, visual learning and visual memory. We found little evidence that relationships between ambulatory blood pressure and cognitive outcomes differed by birth group.

Conclusion: Higher 24-h mean ambulatory blood pressure and systolic hypertension were associated with poorer cognitive outcomes in individuals born extremely preterm and at term, particularly in general intelligence and visual memory.

Keywords: ambulatory blood pressure; cognition; extremely preterm; hypertension.

Abstract

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