Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy and subsequent diabetes mellitus: a retrospective cohort study

The joint effect of gestational diabetes mellitus and hypertension contribute to higher risk of diabetes mellitus after delivery: a nationwide population-based study

BACKGROUND

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) are known risk factors for postpartum diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypertension, respectively. This study aimed to examine the association between the co-occurrence of GDM and PIH and the subsequent development of diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension, and metabolic syndrome.

METHODS

A cohort study was conducted using data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (TNHIRD). The study population included 2,297,613 pregnant women with no history of certain medical conditions who gave birth between 2004 and 2015. The women were classified into four cohorts based on their medical history: GDM cohort, PIH cohort, both GDM and PIH cohort, and normal cohort (without GDM and PIH).

RESULTS

The GDM cohort had a higher risk of developing DM, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome than the normal cohort, with hazard ratios of 7.07, 1.54, and 2.51, respectively. The PIH cohort also had an increased risk for these conditions compared with the normal cohort, with hazard ratios of 3.41, 7.26, and 2.68, respectively. The cohort with both GDM and PIH had the highest risk of developing postpartum DM, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome, with hazard ratios of 21.47, 8.02, and 5.04, respectively, compared with the normal cohort.

CONCLUSION

The cohort of patients with both GDM and PIH had the highest impact on developing postpartum DM compared with either condition alone cohort. Furthermore, the co-occurrence of both conditions increases the risk, with a higher likelihood of developing postpartum DM than hypertension or metabolic syndrome.

Prenatal Exposure to PM2.5 and Its Specific Components and Risk of Hypertensive Disorders in Pregnancy: A Nationwide Cohort Study in China

Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP) are a leading cause of maternal mortality and adverse birth outcomes. Fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) has been linked to HDP risk; however, limited studies have explored the relationships between specific chemical constituents of PM_2.5 and HDP risk. Based on maternal data from the China Labor and Delivery Survey (CLDS), this study included a total of 67,659 participants from 95 participant hospitals in 25 provinces of China between March 1, 2015, and December 31, 2016. Maternal exposure to total PM_2.5 mass and six main components during pregestation and pregnancy were estimated using the Combined Geoscience-Statistical Method. Multilevel logistic regression models were applied to quantify the associations, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. We found that an interquartile range (IQR) increase in PM_2.5 exposure during the second trimester was associated with a 14% increase in HDP risk (95% CI: 2%, 29%). We observed that black carbon (BC) and SO₄^2- had larger or comparable estimates of the effect than total PM_2.5 mass. The association estimates were greater in the gestational hypertension group than in the group of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia. Our findings suggest that PM_2.5 exposure and specific chemical components (particularly BC and SO₄^2-) were associated with an increased HDP risk in China.

Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Across Races and Ethnicities: A Review

Pregnancy is often considered to be a "cardiometabolic stress-test" and pregnancy complications including hypertensive disorders of pregnancy can be the first indicator of increased risk of future cardiovascular disease. Over the last two decades, more evidence on the association between hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and cardiovascular disease has become available. However, despite the importance of addressing existing racial and ethnic differences in the incidence of cardiovascular disease, most research on the role of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy is conducted in white majority populations. The fragmented knowledge prohibits evidence-based targeted prevention and intervention strategies in multi-ethnic populations and maintains the gap in health outcomes. In this review, we present an overview of the evidence on racial and ethnic differences in the occurrence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, as well as evidence on the association of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy with cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular disease across different non-White populations, aiming to advance equity in medicine.

Temporal Trends in Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes in Birthing Individuals Aged 15 to 44 Years in the United States, 2007 to 2019

Background Adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) (hypertensive disorders of pregnancy [HDP], preterm delivery [PTD], or low birth weight [LBW]) are associated adverse maternal and offspring cardiovascular outcomes. Therefore, we sought to describe nationwide temporal trends in the burden of each APO (HDP, PTD, LBW) from 2007 to 2019 to inform strategies to optimize maternal and offspring health outcomes. Methods and Results We performed a serial cross-sectional analysis of APO subtypes (HDP, PTD, LBW) from 2007 to 2019. We included maternal data from all live births that occurred in the United States using the National Center for Health Statistics Natality Files. We quantified age-standardized and age-specific rates of APOs per 1000 live births and their respective mean annual percentage change. All analyses were stratified by self-report of maternal race and ethnicity. Among 51 685 525 live births included, 15% were to non-Hispanic Black individuals, 24% Hispanic individuals, and 6% Asian individuals. Between 2007 and 2019, age standardized HDP rates approximately doubled, from 38.4 (38.2-38.6) to 77.8 (77.5-78.1) per 1000 live births. A significant inflection point was observed in 2014, with an acceleration in the rate of increase of HDP from 2007 to 2014 (+4.1% per year [3.6-4.7]) to 2014 to 2019 (+9.1% per year [8.1-10.1]). Rates of PTD and LBW increased significantly when co-occurring in the same pregnancy with HDP. Absolute rates of APOs were higher in non-Hispanic Black individuals and in older age groups. However, similar relative increases were seen across all age,racial and ethnic groups. Conclusions In aggregate, APOs now complicate nearly 1 in 5 live births. Incidence of HDP has increased significantly between 2007 and 2019 and contributed to the reversal of favorable trends in PTD and LBW. Similar patterns were observed in all age groups, suggesting that increasing maternal age at pregnancy does not account for these trends. Black-White disparities persisted throughout the study period.

Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes and Maternal Chronic Diseases in the Future: A Cross-Sectional Study Using KoGES-HEXA Data

Adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) are associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease (CVD) and metabolic syndrome (MS), in the future. We designed a large-scale cohort study to evaluate the influence of APOs (preeclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), stillbirth, macrosomia, and low birth weight) on the incidence of chronic diseases, body measurements, and serum biochemistry in the future and investigate whether combinations of APOs had additive effects on chronic diseases. We used health examinee data from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES-HEXA) and extracted data of parous women (n = 30,174; mean age, 53.02 years) for the analysis. Women with APOs were more frequently diagnosed with chronic diseases and had a family history of chronic diseases compared with women without APOs. Composite APOs were associated with an increased risk of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, angina pectoris, stroke, and MS (adjusted odds ratio: 1.093, 1.379, 1.269, 1.351, 1.414, and 1.104, respectively) after adjustment for family history and social behaviors. Preeclampsia and GDM were associated with an increased risk of some chronic diseases; however, the combination of preeclampsia and GDM did not have an additive effect on the risk. APOs moderately influenced the future development of maternal CVD and metabolic derangements, independent of family history and social behaviors.

Risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in women with prior hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

The association between a history of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) and subsequent type 2 diabetes (referred to throughout as diabetes) remains inconclusive. We reviewed the most recent evidence to quantify the association of previous HDP with incident diabetes.

METHODS

A systematic search of MEDLINE, Embase and CINAHL was performed up to 17 February 2020 to identify observational studies of the association between HDP (pre-eclampsia or gestational hypertension) and incident diabetes. Studies of women with pre-pregnancy diabetes were excluded. Two independent reviewers screened citations and abstracted results. Study quality was assessed in duplicate using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Random-effects models were used to pool effect estimates. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I² statistic.

RESULTS

After screening 4617 citations, 16 cohort studies with a total of 3,095,457 participants were included (unspecified HDP n = 5, pre-eclampsia only n = 4, gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia n = 7). Risks of subsequent diabetes were significantly higher in women with a history of any HDP (HDP: adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 2.24, 95% CI 1.95, 2.58; gestational hypertension: aHR 2.19 [95% CI 1.69, 2.84]; pre-eclampsia: aHR 2.56 [95% CI 2.02, 3.24]; preterm pre-eclampsia: aHR 3.05 [95% CI 2.05, 4.56]). The association between HDP and diabetes persisted in studies that adjusted for gestational diabetes mellitus (aHR 2.01 [95% CI 1.77, 2.28]).

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

HDP are independently associated with a higher risk of diabetes. Further study is needed to determine how HDP contribute to diabetes risk prediction to develop evidence-based screening and prevention strategies. Graphical abstract.

An external exposome-wide association study of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy

It is widely recognized that exogenous factors play an important role in the development of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP). However, only a few external environmental factors have been studied, often separately, with no attempt to examine the totality of the external environment, or the external exposome. We conducted an external exposome-wide association study (ExWAS) using the Florida Vital Statistics Birth Records including 819,399 women with live births in 2010-2013. A total of 5784 factors characterizing women's surrounding natural, built, and social environment during pregnancy from 10 data sources were collected, harmonized, integrated, and spatiotemporally linked to the women based on pregnancy periods using 250 m buffers around their geocoded residential addresses. A random 50:50 split divided the data into discovery and replication sets, and a 3-phase procedure was used. In phase 1, associations between HDP and individual factors were examined, and Bonferroni adjustment was performed. In phase 2, an elastic net model was used to perform variable selection among significant variables from phase 1. In phase 3, a multivariable logistic regression model including all variables selected by the elastic net model was fitted. Variables that were significant in both the discovery and replication sets were retained. Among the 528 and 490 variables identified in Phase 1, 232 and 224 were selected by the elastic net model in Phase 2, and 67 and 48 variables remained statistically significant in Phase 3 in the discovery and replication sets, respectively. A total of 12 variables were significant in both the discovery and replication sets, including air toxicants (e.g., 2,2,4-trimethylpentane), meteorological factors (e.g., omega or vertical velocity at 125mb pressure level), neighborhood crime and safety (e.g., burglary rate), and neighborhood sociodemographic status (e.g., urbanization). This is the first large external exposome study of HDP. It confirmed some of the previously reported associations and generated unexpected predictors within the environment that may warrant more focused evaluation.

A Bayesian spatio-temporal analysis on racial disparities in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in Florida, 2005-2014

Disparities in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) exist among racial and ethnic groups in the US. However, little is known about spatio-temporal variations in HDP disparities. We used a Bayesian hierarchical regression approach to investigate spatio-temporal variations in HDP disparities from 2005 to 2014. County-level variation was firstly examined, followed by census tract-level variation assessment in counties where high HDP disparities were observed. A significant disadvantage in HDP was revealed for African Americans in Florida overall (Odds Ratio: 1.27, 95% Confidence Interval: 1.25, 1.29), with significant spatial variations. The greatest HDP disparities between African Americans and non-African Americans occurred in North Central Florida counties (the Big Bend region of Florida), with consistent patterns from 2005 to 2014. Analyses at census tract-level further revealed significant neighborhood disparities within these counties. Findings from this study provide important information for public health agencies and policymakers to reduce HDP disparities at the population level.

Preeclampsia-eclampsia and future cardiovascular risk among women in Taiwan

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to examine the long-term cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risks in a large cohort of women with past history of preeclampsia and/or eclampsia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This is a retrospective longitudinal study using National Health Insurance Research Database from 1996 to 2010. We identified 1295 women with preeclampsia and eclampsia. The control group was 5180 pregnant women without preeclampsia/eclampsia, who were matched for age and date of delivery. The incidences of diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension and cardiovascular events after pregnancy were identified from medical records after the date of delivery to the date of an event or the end of the study.

RESULTS

The median follow-up duration was 9.8 years (interquartile 5.1-12.7 years). The incidences of diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, congestive heart failure and cerebrovascular disease events were significantly greater in women with eclampsia or preeclampsia than those in controls. Eclampsia or preeclampsia increased the risk of diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, congestive heart failure and cerebrovascular disease events (hazard ratio [HR] 3.84 and 5.42, P < 0.0001; HR 2.75 and 3.40, P < 0.0001; HR 6.52 and 7.31, P < 0.0001; HR 9.07, P = 0.0060 and 7.39, P < 0.0001; HR 10.71, P < 0.0001 and 3.47, P = 0.0048, respectively). The survival curves for the development of congestive heart failure and cerebrovascular disease in women with eclampsia/preeclampsia and in control differed significantly (Log-rank test P < 0.0001). From the curve, we can find dramatic increases of congestive heart failure and cerebrovascular disease incidences at roughly 3 years and 10 years since the diagnosis of eclampsia/preeclampsia.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study revealed that women with a history of preeclampsia/eclampsia were at increased risks for subsequent diagnoses of diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, congestive heart failure and cerebrovascular disease. Preventive counseling, more vigilant screening and management for the modifiable risks should be provided to the affected women. Clinicians should closely monitor these patients in the first three years postpartum and continuously for up to at least a decade.

Preventing cardiovascular disease after hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: Searching for the how and when

Background

Women with a history of a hypertensive disorder during pregnancy (HDP) have an increased risk of cardiovascular events. Guidelines recommend assessment of cardiovascular risk factors in these women later in life, but provide limited advice on how this follow-up should be organized.

Design

Systematic review and meta-regression analysis.

Methods

The aim of our study was to provide an overview of existing knowledge on the changes over time in three major modifiable components of cardiovascular risk assessment after HDP: blood pressure, glucose homeostasis and lipid levels. Data from 44 studies and up to 6904 women with a history of a HDP were compared with risk factor levels reported for women of corresponding age in the National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey, Estudio Epidemiólogico de la Insuficiencia Renal en España and Hong Kong cohorts (N = 27,803).

Results

Compared with the reference cohort, women with a HDP presented with higher mean blood pressure. Hypertension was present in a higher rate among women with a previous HDP from 15 years postpartum onwards. At 15 years postpartum (±age 45), one in five women with a history of a HDP suffer from hypertension. No differences in glucose homeostasis parameters or lipid levels were observed.

Conclusions

Based on our analysis, it is not possible to point out a time point to commence screening for cardiovascular risk factors in women after a HDP. We recommend redirection of future research towards the development of a stepwise approach identifying the women with the highest cardiovascular risk.

Hypertensive disorders during pregnancy and risk of type 2 diabetes in later life: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Many studies assessed the association between hypertensive disorders during pregnancy and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in later life, but contradictory findings were reported. A systemic review and meta-analysis was carried out to elucidate type 2 diabetes mellitus risk in women with hypertensive disorders during pregnancy. Pubmed, Embase, and Web of Science were searched for cohort or case-control studies on the association between hypertensive disorders during pregnancy and subsequent type 2 diabetes mellitus. Random-effect model was used to pool risk estimates. Bayesian meta-analysis was carried out to further estimate the type 2 diabetes mellitus risk associated with hypertensive disorders during pregnancy. Seventeen cohort or prospective matched case-control studies were finally included. Those 17 studies involved 2,984,634 women and 46,732 type 2 diabetes mellitus cases. Overall, hypertensive disorders during pregnancy were significantly correlated with type 2 diabetes mellitus risk (relative risk = 1.56, 95 % confidence interval 1.21-2.01, P = 0.001). Preeclampsia was significantly and independently correlated with type 2 diabetes mellitus risk (relative risk = 2.25, 95 % confidence interval 1.73-2.90, P < 0.001). In addition, gestational hypertension was also significantly and independently correlated with subsequent type 2 diabetes mellitus risk (relative risk = 2.06, 95 % confidence interval 1.57-2.69, P < 0.001). The pooled estimates were not significantly altered in the subgroup analyses of studies on preeclampsia or gestational hypertension. Bayesian meta-analysis showed the relative risks of type 2 diabetes mellitus risk for individuals with hypertensive disorders during pregnancy, preeclampsia, and gestational hypertension were 1.59 (95 % credibility interval: 1.11-2.32), 2.27 (95 % credibility interval: 1.67-2.97), and 2.06 (95 % credibility interval: 1.41-2.84), respectively. Publication bias was not evident in the meta-analysis. Preeclampsia and gestational hypertension are independently associated with substantially elevated risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in later life.

Pre-pregnancy weight change and incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus: A finding from a prospective cohort study

AIMS

In a population-based cohort study we examined the associations between early adult pre-pregnancy weight change and the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

METHODS

The study included 3111 women from the 1973-78 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. These women have been surveyed regularly since 1996. Women without diabetes and GDM were followed-up between 2003 and 2012. Generalized estimating equations were used to assess the effect of baseline (1996, mean age 20years) and pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and the pre-pregnancy weight changes on the incidence of GDM. The full models were adjusted for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors.

RESULTS

From 2003 to 2012, 229GDM cases (4.4%) were reported in 5242 pregnancies. Relative to normal BMI women, obese women at baseline (RR: 1.8, 95% CI: 1.1, 2.8) and prior to pregnancy (RR: 2.7, 95% CI: 2.0, 3.6) were at greater risk of GDM. Weight gains prior to each study pregnancy were strongly associated with increased GDM risk with an adjusted RR ranging from 2.0 to 2.9. Within under/normal range of BMI, women with a moderate/high (>2.5%/year) weight gain had 2.7 (95% CI: 1.3, 5.5) times the risk of GDM compared with women with stable weight.

CONCLUSIONS

Early adult weight gain, even within normal BMI range, is an important risk factor for the development of GDM. Weight gain prevention from early adulthood to prior to pregnancy appears to be the main strategy to prevent the incidence of GDM.

Ozone and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in Florida: Identifying critical windows of exposure

INTRODUCTION

Ozone (O₃) has been linked to hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP). However, inconsistent results have been reported, and no study has examined the critical exposure windows during pregnancy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We used Florida birth vital statistics records to investigate the association between HDP and O₃ exposure among 655,529 pregnancies with conception dates between 2005 and 2007. Individual O₃ exposure was assessed at mothers' home address at the time of delivery using the Hierarchical Bayesian space-time statistical model. We examined the association during three predefined exposure windows including trimester 1, trimester 2, and trimesters 1&2, as well as in each week of the first two trimesters using distributed lag models.

RESULTS

Pregnancies with HDP had a higher mean exposure to O₃ (39.07 in trimester 1, 39.02 in trimester 2, and 39.06 in trimesters 1&2, unit: ppb) than those without HDP (38.65 in trimester 1, 38.57 in trimester 2, and 38.61 in trimesters 1&2, unit: ppb). In the adjusted logistic regression model, increased odds of HDP were observed for each 5 ppb increase in O₃ (OR_Trimester1=1.04, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.06; OR_Trimester2=1.03, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.04; OR_Trimester1&2=1.07, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.08). In the distributed lag models, elevated odds of HDP were observed with increased O₃ exposure during the 1st to 24th weeks of gestation, with higher odds during early pregnancy.

CONCLUSIONS

O₃ exposure during pregnancy is related to increased odds of HDP, and early pregnancy appears to be a potentially critical window of exposure.

Pre-eclampsia is associated with a twofold increase in diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

Pre-eclampsia is a pregnancy-specific multisystem disorder and a state of physiological insulin resistance. Our aim was to systematically evaluate and quantify the evidence on the relationship between pre-eclampsia and the future risk of diabetes.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that evaluated diabetes in women with and without pre-eclampsia. We performed a systematic search of MEDLINE and EMBASE to identify relevant studies. Independent double data extractions were conducted by four reviewers. Random-effects meta-analysis was used to estimate the risk of future diabetes following pre-eclampsia.

RESULTS

A total of 21 studies were identified with more than 2.8 million women, including more than 72,500 women with pre-eclampsia. Meta-analysis of studies that adjusted for potential confounders demonstrated that pre-eclampsia was independently associated with an increased risk of future diabetes (RR 2.37 [95% CI 1.89, 2.97]). This risk appeared in studies that followed women from less than 1 year postpartum (RR 1.97 [95% CI 1.35, 2.87]) and persisted to more than 10 years postpartum (RR 1.95 [95% CI 1.28, 2.97]). After adjusting for BMI or gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia remained linked with an increased risk of future diabetes (RR 2.38 [95% CI 1.74, 3.24] and RR 2.36 [95% CI 1.94, 2.88], respectively).

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

Pre-eclampsia is independently associated with a twofold increase in future diabetes. Our study highlights the importance of clinical risk assessment for the future development of diabetes in women with pre-eclampsia. We recommend detailed evaluation of a screening programme for diabetes in this high-risk population.

Does First Nations ancestry modify the association between gestational diabetes and subsequent diabetes: a historical prospective cohort study among women in Manitoba, Canada

BACKGROUND

Over the past 30 years, the prevalence of diabetes has steadily increased among Canadians, and is particularly evident among First Nations (FN) women. The interplay between FN ancestry, gestational diabetes and the development of subsequent diabetes among mothers remains unclear.

METHODS

After excluding known pre-existing diabetes, we explored whether FN ancestry may modify the association between gestational diabetes and post-partum diabetes among women in Manitoba (1981-2011) via a historical prospective cohort database study. We analysed administrative data in the Population Health Research Data Repository using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression.

RESULTS

Gestational diabetes was diagnosed in 11 906 of 404 736 deliveries (2.9%), 6.7% of FN and 2.2% of non-FN pregnant women (P < 0.0001). Post-partum diabetes during ≤ 30 years follow-up was more than three times higher among FN women than among non-FN women (P < 0.0001). Diabetes developed in 76.0% of FN and 56.2% of non-FN women with gestational diabetes within the follow-up period. The hazard ratio of gestational diabetes for post-partum diabetes was 10.6 among non-FN women and 5.4 among FN women. Other factors associated with a higher risk of diabetes included lower family income among FN and non-FN women and rural/remote residences among FN women. Among non-FN women, urban residence was associated with a higher risk of diabetes.

CONCLUSION

Gestational diabetes increases post-partum diabetes in FN and non-FN women. FN women had substantially more gestational diabetes or post-partum diabetes than non-FN women, partially due to socio-economic and environmental barriers. Reductions in gestational diabetes and socio-economic inequalities are required to prevent diabetes in women, particularly in FN population.

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and risk of diabetes in Indian women: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Epidemiological data from high-income countries suggest that women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are more likely to develop diabetes later in life.

OBJECTIVE

We investigated the association between pre-eclampsia and eclampsia (PE&E) during pregnancy and the risk of diabetes in Indian women.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

India.

METHODS

Data from India's third National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3, 2005-2006), a cross-sectional survey of women aged 15-49 years, are used. Self-reported symptoms suggestive of PE&E were obtained from 39 657 women who had a live birth in the 5 years preceding the survey. The association between PE&E and self-reported diabetes status was assessed using multivariable logistic regression models adjusting for dietary intake, body mass index (BMI), tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking, frequency of TV watching, sociodemographic characteristics and geographic region.

RESULTS

The prevalence of symptoms suggestive of PE&E in women with diabetes was 1.8% (n=207; 95% CI 1.5 to 2.0; p<0.0001) and 2.1% (n=85; 95% CI 1.8 to 2.3; p<0.0001), respectively, compared with 1.1% (n=304; 95% CI 1.0 to 1.4) and 1.2% (n=426; 95% CI 1.1 to 1.5) in women who did not report any PE&E symptoms. In the multivariable analysis, PE&E was associated with 1.6 times (OR=1.59; 95% CI 1.31 to 1.94; p<0.0001) and 1.4 times (OR=1.36; 95% CI 1.05 to 1.77; p=0.001) higher risk for self-reported diabetes even after controlling for dietary intake, BMI and sociodemographic characteristics.

CONCLUSIONS

HDP is strongly associated with the risk of diabetes in a large nationally representative sample of Indian women. These findings are important for a country which is already tackling the burden of young onset of diabetes in the population. However, longitudinal medical histories and a clinical measurement of diabetes are needed in this low-resource setting.

Subsequent risk of gout for women with hypertensive disorders in pregnancy: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

The association between the risk of subsequent gout and hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP), including gestational hypertension and preeclampsia has not been well investigated. We investigated the risk of gout in later life for women with a history of HDP.

METHODS

We identified 1133 newly diagnosed HDP women aged 14-40 years from Taiwan insurance claims data from the period of 2000-2010. From the same database, 9064 women without HDP were randomly selected as the control cohort, with frequency matched by age and diagnosis year. Those with a baseline history of hypertension or gout were excluded from this study. All study participants were followed until the development of gout, withdrawal from the insurance program, or the end of 2011. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to assess the risk for gout in the HDP cohort compared with the controls.

RESULTS

The incidence of gout was 2.83 folds higher in the HDP cohort than in the control cohort (2.66 vs. 0.94 per 1000 person-years) with an adjusted hazard ratio of 2.34 (95% confidence interval = 1.36-4.02) and 1.84 (95% confidence interval = 1.03-3.32) after controlling for comorbidities prior to and after pregnancy, respectively. In addition, the risk for gout increased as the severity of HDP increased.

CONCLUSION

Women with HDP are at higher risk of developing gout in their later life. Close surveillance for hyperuricemia and lifestyle intervention should be considered for these high risk women. Further prospective study is needed for investigating the relationship between HDP and subsequent gout.

The potential participation of abdominal pressure in preeclampsia

Preeclampsia is a major cause of maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity. Regardless of susceptibility or predisposing conditions and risk factors, the degree of increase in abdominal pressure is directly related to the severity of preeclampsia, particularly in women with hydatidiform mole. When increased abdominal pressure is normalized by delivery, preeclampsia is cured. Recent genetic studies highlighted two leading risk factors for preeclampsia: chronic renal disease and T235 homozygosity for the AGT gene. Thus, while there is increased abdominal pressure in pregnancy, an imbalanced renin angiotensin system and renal injuries lead to a vicious cycle of increasing abdominal pressure and further renal injuries. A hypothesis for the potential participation of pressure in preeclampsia is described and the amelioration of preeclampsia through postural intervention and the possible therapeutic effect of angiotensin is suggested.

Ambient Air Pollution and Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP, including gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and eclampsia) have a substantial public health impact. Maternal exposure to high levels of air pollution may trigger HDP, but this association remains unclear. The objective of our report is to assess and quantify the association between maternal exposures to criteria air pollutants (ozone, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter ≤ 10, 2.5 μm) on HDP risk. PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Current Contents, Global Health, and Cochrane were searched (last search: September, 2013). After a detailed screening of 270 studies, 10 studies were extracted. We conducted meta-analyses if a pollutant in a specific exposure window was reported by at least four studies. Using fixed- and random-effects models, odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs were calculated for each pollutant with specific increment of concentration. Increases in risks of HDP (OR per 10 ppb = 1.16; 95% CI, 1.03-1.30) and preeclampsia (OR per 10 ppb = 1.10; 95% CI, 1.03-1.17) were observed to be associated with exposure to NO2 during the entire pregnancy, and significant associations between HDP and exposure to CO (OR per 1 ppm = 1.79; 95% CI, 1.31-2.45) and O3 (OR per 10 ppb = 1.09; 95% CI, 1.05-1.13) during the first trimester were also observed. Our review suggests an association between ambient air pollution and HDP risk. Although the ORs were relatively low, the population-attributable fractions were not negligible given the ubiquitous nature of air pollution.

Importance of engaging obstetrician/gynecologists in cardiovascular disease prevention

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To review recent evidence regarding traditional and sex-specific factors identified among women during their reproductive years and their importance in lifetime risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD).

RECENT FINDINGS

Longitudinal studies demonstrated a woman's burden of risk during her reproductive years is associated with future risk of CVD. Similarly, women with a healthy lifestyle are relatively protected and have the lowest lifetime risk. Some primary prevention strategies, when implemented during this age window, were cost-effective. The link between pregnancy outcome and future CVD risk is now better understood, and evidence now relates pregnancy-associated hypertension and diabetes, as well as a preterm delivery or a low birth weight delivery, to excess risk. Gaps in preventive healthcare for women in this age group included low rates of treatment initiation for hypertension and failure to follow guidelines for diabetes surveillance among women with a history of gestational diabetes. Knowledge gaps for standard CVD prevention, as well as the link between pregnancy complications and future CVD risk, were identified among both primary care providers and obstetrician/gynecologists.

SUMMARY

Traditional and sex-specific risk factors for CVD present during women's reproductive years. Engaging the obstetrician/gynecologist provides a strategy to enhance prevention.

Ambient air pollution and hypertensive disorder of pregnancy

BACKGROUND

Ambient air pollution has been implicated in the development of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP). However, evidence of the association between air pollution and HDP is still limited, and the effects of gaseous air pollutants on HDP and their time windows of exposure have not been well studied.

METHODS

We used the Florida birth registry data to investigate the associations between air pollutants (NO2, SO2, PM(2.5), O3 and CO) and the risks of HDP in 22,041 pregnant women in Jacksonville, Florida, USA from 2004 to 2005. Further, we examined whether air pollution exposure during different time windows defined by trimesters and the entire pregnancy had different effects on HDP.

RESULTS

The single-pollutant logistic regression model showed that exposure to four pollutants during the full pregnancy period was significantly associated with prevalence of HDP after adjusting for covariates: NO2 (OR=1.21, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.35), PM2.5 (OR=1.24, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.43), SO2 (OR=1.13, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.25) and CO (OR=1.12, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.22) per IQR increase. Similar effects were observed when first trimester exposure to NO2, SO2 and CO, and second trimester exposures to PM2.5 were examined. Consistent results were confirmed in multiple-pollutant models.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that exposure to high levels of air pollution during early pregnancy and the full gestational period was associated with increased prevalence of HDP in Florida, USA.