Published Online
on May 9, 2005

A more recent version of this article appeared on May 24, 2005

This Article Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 111/20/2623    most recent CIRCULATIONAHA.104.490326v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Brodszki, J. Articles by Ley, D. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Brodszki, J. Articles by Ley, D. Pubmed/NCBI databases Medline Plus Health Information High Risk Pregnancy Related Collections Endothelium/vascular type/nitric oxide Other Vascular biology Other Research Related Article

Submitted on July 5, 2004
Revised on December 16, 2004
Accepted on February 15, 2005

Impaired Vascular Growth in Late Adolescence After Intrauterine Growth Restriction

J. Brodszki MD, PhD^*, T. Länne MD, PhD, K. Marál MD, PhD, and D. Ley MD, PhD

From the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology (J.B., K.M.) and Pediatrics (D.L.), University Hospital of Lund, Lund University, Lund; and Department of Medicine and Care, Linköping University, Linköping (T.L.), Sweden.

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: jana.brodszki{at}gyn.lu.se.

Background--Abnormal blood flow in a fetus small for gestational age indicates true fetal intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). We tested the hypothesis that IUGR with abnormal fetal blood flow is associated with long-term abnormal vascular morphology and function in adolescence.

Methods and Results--In a prospective study, vascular mechanical properties of the common carotid artery (CCA), abdominal aorta , and popliteal artery (PA) were assessed by echo-tracking sonography in 21 adolescents with IUGR and abnormal fetal aortic blood flow and in 23 adolescents with normal fetal growth and normal fetal aortic blood flow. Endothelium-dependent and -independent vasodilatation of the brachial artery was measured by high-resolution ultrasound. After adjustment for body surface area and sex, the IUGR group had significantly smaller end-diastolic vessel diameters than the referents in the abdominal aorta and PA (mean difference, 1.7 mm [95% CI, 0.62 to 2.74] and 0.6 mm [95% CI, 0.25 to 1.02], respectively) (P=0.003 and P=0.002, respectively), with a similar trend in the CCA (P=0.09). A higher resting heart rate was observed in the IUGR group (P=0.01). No differences were found in stiffness or in endothelium-dependent and -independent vasodilatation between the 2 groups.

Conclusions--IUGR caused by placental insufficiency appears to be associated with impaired vascular growth persisting into young adulthood in both men and women. The smaller aortic dimensions and the higher resting heart rate seen in adolescents with previous IUGR may be of importance for future cardiovascular health.

Key words: endothelium • pediatrics • fetal growth retardation • vessels • ultrasonics

Related Article:

Issue Highlights
Circulation 2005 111: 2551. [Extract] [Full Text]

This article has been cited by other articles:

				P. Mitchell, G. Liew, E. Rochtchina, J. J. Wang, D. Robaei, N. Cheung, and T. Y. Wong Evidence of Arteriolar Narrowing in Low-Birth-Weight Children Circulation, July 29, 2008; 118(5): 518 - 524. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D-M Walker and N Marlow Neurocognitive outcome following fetal growth restriction Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed., July 1, 2008; 93(4): F322 - F325. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Liew, J. J. Wang, B. B. Duncan, R. Klein, A. R. Sharrett, F. Brancati, H.-C. Yeh, P. Mitchell, T. Y. Wong, and for the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study Low Birthweight Is Associated With Narrower Arterioles in Adults Hypertension, April 1, 2008; 51(4): 933 - 938. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. O. Verburg, V. W.V. Jaddoe, J. W. Wladimiroff, A. Hofman, J. C.M. Witteman, and E. A.P. Steegers Fetal Hemodynamic Adaptive Changes Related to Intrauterine Growth: The Generation R Study Circulation, February 5, 2008; 117(5): 649 - 659. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Hayakawa, K. Takemoto, A. Nakayama, A. Saito, Y. Sato, M. Hasegawa, K. Ieda, and S. Mimura An Animal Model of Intrauterine Growth Retardation Induced by Synthetic Thromboxane A2 Reproductive Sciences, December 1, 2006; 13(8): 566 - 572. [Abstract] [PDF]