Childhood mental ability and blood pressure at midlife: linking the Scottish Mental Survey 1932 and the Midspan studies

Starr, J.M., Taylor, M.D., Hart, C.L. , Davey-Smith, G., Whalley, L.J., Hole, D.J., Wilson, V. and Deary, I.J. (2004) Childhood mental ability and blood pressure at midlife: linking the Scottish Mental Survey 1932 and the Midspan studies. Journal of Hypertension, 22(5), pp. 893-897.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To establish the relationship between childhood mental ability and adult hypertension. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Community. PARTICIPANTS: Non-clinical sample of people born in 1921 who participated in both the Scottish Mental Survey 1932 and the Midspan studies. Nine hundred and thirty-eight people were participants in both studies. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Mid-life systolic and diastolic blood pressure, intelligence quotient (IQ) at age 11 years, sex, social class, height and weight. RESULTS: After adjustment for age, sex, social class, body mass index, height, cholesterol level and smoking, there remained a 3.15 mmHg decrease in systolic blood pressure and a 1.5 mmHg decrease in diastolic blood pressure for each standard deviation increase in childhood IQ. CONCLUSIONS: The association between hypertension and lower cognitive function in adulthood is partly accounted for by individual differences in childhood IQ.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Hart, Dr Carole and Wilson, Dr Valerie and Hole, Prof David
• Authors: Starr, J.M., Taylor, M.D., Hart, C.L., Davey-Smith, G., Whalley, L.J., Hole, D.J., Wilson, V., and Deary, I.J.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Health & Wellbeing > Public Health; College of Social Sciences > School of Education
• Journal Name: Journal of Hypertension
• Journal Abbr.: J Hypertens.
• Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
• ISSN: 0263-6352