Higher prenatal humidity and temperature could modulate BP changes across childhood

With a mean yearly change of 0.29 mm Hg/y, the results indicated that higher humidity was associated with a faster increase in systolic blood pressure (SBP) during childhood. Also, higher temperatures were linked to a slower increase in SBP by suggesting a precise relationship between environmental factors and blood pressure regulation.

This study replicated its key findings in four independent European cohorts that comprising a total of 9,261 participants. The impact of humidity and temperature on blood pressure changes was consistent across these diverse populations which strengthens the credibility of the outcomes of tis study.

The results suggest that prenatal exposure to higher humidity and temperature could influence the trajectory of blood pressure changes throughout childhood. This study highlights the often-overlooked impact of prenatal environmental factors and paves way for understanding and potentially reducing the long-term health implications associated with growing up in urban environments.

Reference:

Gonçalves Soares, A., Santos, S., Seyve, E., Nedelec, R., Puhakka, S., Eloranta, A.-M., Mikkonen, S., Yuan, W. L., Lawlor, D. A., Heron, J., Vrijheid, M., Lepeule, J., Nieuwenhuijsen, M., Fossati, S., Jaddoe, V. W. V., Lakka, T., Sebert, S., Heude, B., Felix, J. F., … Timpson, N. J. (2024). Prenatal urban environment and blood pressure trajectories from childhood to early adulthood. JACC Advances, 3(2), 100808. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacadv.2023.100808