BACKGROUND:

Although excessive left ventricular mass has been viewed as an adaptation to increased blood pressure, it can precede the rise in blood pressure in hypertensive models. Excessive growth of the heart may reflect additional factors contributing to eventual level of blood pressure. In children, rapid heart growth may be predictive of subsequent high childhood blood pressure level and greater incidence of cardiovascular disease in adult relatives. These studies had the potential of defining maturational changes in known risk factors which might help predict future hypertensive disease.

The study was a subproject within a Specialized Center of Research (SCOR) in Hypertension. The Request for Applications for the SCOR was released in October, 1988.

DESIGN NARRATIVE:

A total of 124 prepubertal males and females were followed longitudinally for five years. Yearly examinations defined the stages of sexual maturation. On four occasions each year, subjects were studied for resting and ambulatory blood pressure, echocardiography, anthropometry and activity assessment. Once yearly, each subject had blood drawn for hormone analyses and whole blood viscosity estimate. From these data, growth velocities of the heart and rate of change of blood pressure were determined. These parameters were analyzed to determine if rapid growth of the heart preceded or followed the rise in blood pressure observed during puberty and body size and composition, sexual maturation and hormone changes, and sympathetic activity.

The study was a subproject within a SCOR in Hypertension. Approximately 7 percent of total dollars were awarded for this subproject.