Malnourished Children Susceptible to Hypertension during Adulthood: Study

Inadequate nourishment during childhood ups the risk of high blood pressure in later years, finds a study.

Malnourishment and starvation stunts the growth and development of the body paving way for many illnesses and health conditions. Children rescued from poverty and dire economic conditions are put under nutrition therapy to restore their health and body development. But, past studies have found these efforts are mostly futile after prolonged periods of starvation and undernourishment in young children. Experts from University of West Indies found lack of food and malnutrition in infancy and childhood impairs the development of heart that gives rise to hypertension in adulthood.

"If nutritional needs are not met during this time, when structures of the body are highly susceptible to potentially irreversible change, it could have long-term consequences on heart anatomy and blood flow later in life," said Terrence Forrester, study author and chief scientist at the University of West Indies's Solutions for Developing Countries in Kingston, Jamaica, in a press release.

The study looked at 116 adults who encountered poverty and famine during their childhood and compared them to another group of 45 participants who were well nourished as children. The subjects were in their 20's and 30's, and were measured for  height, weight and blood pressure levels. The researchers also examined their heart health and functioning using ECG and imaging tests.

The findings revealed adults, who were malnourished as children, had significantly higher diastolic blood pressure readings and higher peripheral resistance or amount of blood flow in small vessels. These individuals also suffered from erratic heart beats and inefficient pumping. All these factors elevate their chances of dying from heart diseases and strokes triggered by hypertension.

The results emphasize the need to eradicate the burden of shortage of food supply in disadvantaged and economically backward communities to avert death rates and prevalence of diseases. Data by the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows nearly 8.3 million American children lived in food-insecure conditions during 2012. Treating malnutrition and food shortage helps reduce the future financial costs on health care and hospitalization for hypertension and blood diseases, believe the authors.

"Such an investment in nutrition and general health will have huge public health dividends, including these longer-term risks of chronic heart and metabolic diseases that cost so much in human lives," said Forrester.

More information is available online in the journal Hypertension.