Prevalence of high blood pressure among young rural adults in relation to height in childhood and adult body mass index.

Objective: Evidence, mostly based on developed countries, indicates that disease risks may be associated with changes in growth processes rather than a one-point phenomenon. In view of the increasing prevalence of hypertension in India, there is a need to understand how patterns of growth during early childhood and adolescence influence blood pressure in adulthood, particularly among rural populations in India.

Methods: The risk of hypertension was examined in 378 rural men older than 20 years who were measured for anthropometry during early childhood, adolescence, and as young adults in a community-based cohort study.