Importance: Preterm-born individuals have higher blood pressure with an increased risk of
hypertension by young adulthood, as well as potentially adverse cardiac remodeling, even when normotensive. To what extent blood pressure elevation impacts left ventricular (LV) structure and function in adults born preterm is currently unknown.
Objective: To investigate whether changes observed in LV structure and function in pretermborn adults make them more susceptible to cardiac remodeling in relation to blood pressure elevation.
Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional cohort study included 468 adults aged 18 to 40 years. Of these, 200 were born preterm (
Main Outcomes and Measures: CMR measures of LV structure and function in response to systolic blood pressure elevation.
Results: Normotensive and hypertensive preterm-born adults had higher LV mass index, reduced
LV function, and smaller LV volumes compared to both term-born normotensive and hypertensive individuals (P<0.01). In regression analyses of systolic blood pressure with LV
mass index and LV mass to end-diastolic volume ratio, there was a leftward shift in the slopes in preterm- compared to term-born adults. Compared to term-born adults, there was a 2.5-fold
greater LV mass index per 1mmHg elevation in systolic blood pressure in very and extremely preterm-born adults (
Conclusions: Preterm-born adults have a unique LV structure and function that worsens with systolic blood pressure elevation. Additional primary prevention strategies specifically targeting cardiovascular risk reduction in this population may be warranted.</p
