Objective-To examine whether birth weight is related to systolic blood pressure during adolescence.Design-Retrospective (comparative) cohort study. The observers who traced and studied the subjects were unaware oftheir case-control status.

It has been suggested that factors which influence low birth weight at term may be associated with reduced lung function in later life. This hypothesis was investigated in a comparative (retrospective) cohort study of 164 matched pairs of subjects where the observers responsible for tracing and studying the subjects were unaware of their case or control status. The subjects, born in Cardiff between 1975 and 1977, were of mean age 15*7 years. Cases (low birth weight (<2500 g) at term) were matched with controls (normal birth weight (3000-3800 g) at term) for sex, parity, place of birth, date of birth, and gestation. Lung function was measured using a portable spirometer.The corrected mean differences (95% confidence interval) in forced vital capacity (FVC) and flow when 500/0 or 25% of the FVC remains in the lungs between the cases and controls were respectively -41 ml (-140 to 58), -82 nml/sec (-286 to 122), and -83 nml/sec (-250 to 83). None of these differences were statistically significant. These results are inconsistent with the hypothesis that low birth weight at term is associated with reduced lung function in adolescence.

Factors that influence low birth weight at term may also be associated with subcutaneous fat patterning in later life. This hypothesis was investigated in a comparative (retrospective) cohort study. The subjects, born in Cardiff between 1975 and 1977, were of mean age 15.7 years. Cases (low birth weight (<2500 g) at term) were matched with controls (normal birth weight (3000-3800 g) at term) for sex, parity, place ofbirth, date ofbirth, and gestation. Subscapular skinfold (an index of central subcutaneous fat) and triceps skinfold (an index of peripheral subcutaneous fat) were measured using a Holtain skinfold caliper. The differences (cases minus controls) (95% confidence interval) for subscapular and triceps skinfolds were respectively -0.3 mm (-1.74 to 1.14) and -0.48 mm (-1.75 to 0.79). These findings are inconsistent with the hypothesis that low birth weight at term is associated with subcutaneous fat patterning in adolescence. (Arch Dis Child 1996;75:521-523)

The effects of nifedipine on blood flow to the lower limb have been investigated in 19 patients with calf claudication, and in 8 patients with critical leg ischaemia, using Doppler techniques. In claudicants, common femoral artery blood flow increased by 55% after sublingual nifedipine, despite a fall in systolic blood pressure and no alteration in the ankle/brachial index. In patients with critical ischaemia given intravenous nifedipine, common femoral blood flow increased to reach a peak 90 minutes after the start of the infusion. The femoral artery pulsatility index, derived from the Doppler waveform, is a reliable guide to changes in blood volume flow.

No abstract