Parity and carotid atherosclerosis in men and women: insights into the roles of childbearing and child-rearing

Pregnancy, cardiovascular health, and microchimerism

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To provide an updated review of scientific literature concerning associations between pregnancy and cardiovascular health among women, and to discuss a possible impact of microchimerism on the association.

RECENT FINDINGS

In most studies, pregnancy and childbirth is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease in women. Some ascribe the association mainly to lifestyle, whereas others suggest that pregnancy itself negatively affects women's cardiovascular health. Pregnancy is a natural source of microchimerism, which in turn markedly affects female health. The only study published in the area surprisingly shows that among middle-aged women, male-origin microchimerism (MOM) is associated with half the risk of developing ischemic heart disease (IHD). No similar association is found between MOM and ischemic stroke.

SUMMARY

The sparse evidence published suggests reduced risk of developing IHD among MOM-positive women. Despite the association being biologically plausible, replication of the findings is warranted to support that this is not a chance finding.

Child rearing or childbearing? Risk of cardiovascular diseases associated to parity and number of children

BACKGROUND

An increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) has been associated with women's parity, but whether or not this association reflects a direct pregnancy effect, or exposure to factors related to childrearing, still appears unclear. We assessed the CVD risk associated with number of children separately by gender and tested effect modification by socioeconomic position (SEP) and employment status, in order to elucidate the possible mechanisms underlying this association.

METHODS

The study population was composed of 20,904 men and 25,246 women who were interviewed in one of two National Health Surveys conducted in 2000 and 2005 in Italy. These subjects were followed for CVD incidence up to 2014 through record-linkage with national archives of mortality and hospitalisations. CVD risk was estimated by Cox regression models that were adjusted for socio-demographics, perceived health, lifestyles, biological CVD risk factors and for other potential confounders.

RESULTS

CVD incidence was significantly increased among men with 3 or more children (HR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.02-1.56) and among women with 2 and with 3 or more children (HR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.10-1.83; and HR = 1.39, 95% CI: 1.03-1.87, respectively) compared to subjects without children and no significant gender differences were observed. Subjects with lower SEP displayed stronger associations with parity and a higher number of children for both genders; by contrast, no modifying effect of employment status was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, the significant association between higher parity and CVD risk in both genders, and the higher risk of CVD associated with higher parity among lower SEP parents, suggests that childrearing has a potential effect on the development of CVD that is more pronounced among disadvantaged families, although a concurrent effect of childbearing cannot be completely excluded.

A study of the effect of number of children on depression among rural older women: empirical evidence from China

The association between early reproductive events and health status in later life has always been of interest across disciplines. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there was an association between the number of children born in the early years of elderly women and their depression in later life based on a sample of older women aged 65 years and above with at least one child in rural China. Data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey in 2018, this study used the ordinary least square method to conduct empirical research. This study has found a significant correlation between an increase in the number of children and depression in older rural women. When considering the sex of the child, the number of daughters had a greater and more significant impact on depression. Number of children may exacerbate depression of older women through declining self-rated health and reduced social activity, while increased inter-generational support alleviated depression. The association between number of children born and depression also existed in urban older women, though not significant. Therefore, it is suggested to accelerate the improvement of supporting policies related to childbirth, developing a healthy and scientific fertility culture, and improving rural maternal and child health services. Women should be assisted in balancing their roles in the family and in society, and in particular in sharing the burden of caring for children. Targeted efforts to increase old-age protection for older people.

Female Reproductive Events and Subclinical Atherosclerosis of the Brain and Carotid Arteriopathy: the Ohasama Study

AIMS

Few studies have investigated the subclinical atherosclerotic changes in the brain and carotid artery, and in East Asian populations. We sought to investigate whether gravidity, delivery, the age at menarche and menopause and estrogen exposure period are associated with subclinical atherosclerosis of the brain and carotid arteriopathy.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study formed part of a cohort study of Ohasama residents initiated in 1986. Brain atherosclerosis and carotid arteriopathy were diagnosed as white matter hyperintensity (WMH) and lacunae evident on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and carotid intimal media thickness (IMT) or plaque revealed by ultrasound, respectively. The effect of the reproductive events on brain atherosclerosis and carotid arteriopathy was investigated using logistic regression and general linear regression models after adjusting for covariates.

RESULTS

Among 966 women aged ≥ 55 years in 1998, we identified 622 and 711 women (mean age: 69.2 and 69.7 years, respectively) who underwent either MRI or carotid ultrasound between 1992-2008 or 1993-2018, respectively. The highest quartile of gravidity (≥ 5 vs. 3) and delivery (≥ 4 vs. 2), and the highest and second highest (3 vs. 2) quartiles of delivery were associated with an increased risk of WMH and carotid artery plaque, respectively. Neither of age at menarche, menopause, and estrogen exposure period estimated by subtracting age at menarche from age at menopause was associated with atherosclerotic changes of brain and carotid arteries.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher gravidity and delivery are associated with subclinical atherosclerosis of the brain and carotid plaque.

Multiple Prior Live Births Are Associated With Cardiac Remodeling and Heart Failure Risk in Women

OBJECTIVE

Greater parity has been associated with cardiovascular disease risk. We sought to find whether the effects on cardiac remodeling and heart failure risk are clear.

METHODS

We examined the association of number of live births with echocardiographic measures of cardiac structure and function in participants of the Framingham Heart Study (FHS) using multivariable linear regression. We next examined the association of parity with incident heart failure with preserved (HFpEF) or reduced (HFrEF) ejection fraction using a Fine-Gray subdistribution hazards model in a pooled analysis of n = 12,635 participants in the FHS, the Cardiovascular Health Study, the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, and Prevention of Renal and Vascular Endstage Disease. Secondary analyses included major cardiovascular disease, myocardia infarction and stroke.

RESULTS

Among n = 3931 FHS participants (mean age 48 ± 13 years), higher numbers of live births were associated with worse left ventricular fractional shortening (multivariable β -1.11 (0.31); P = 0.0005 in ≥ 5 live births vs nulliparous women) and worse cardiac mechanics, including global circumferential strain and longitudinal and radial dyssynchrony (P < 0.01 for all comparing ≥ 5 live births vs nulliparity). When examining HF subtypes, women with ≥ 5 live births were at higher risk of developing future HFrEF compared with nulliparous women (HR 1.93, 95% CI 1.19-3.12; P = 0.008); by contrast, a lower risk of HFpEF was observed (HR 0.58, 95% CI 0.37-0.91; P = 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

Greater numbers of live births are associated with worse cardiac structure and function. There was no association with overall HF, but a higher number of live births was associated with greater risk for incident HFrEF.

Parity and incident type 2 diabetes in older Chinese women: Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study

This study examined the association between parity and incident type 2 diabetes in older Chinese women and estimated the mediation effect of adiposity indicators. A total of 11,473 women without diabetes at baseline from 2003 to 2008 were followed up until 2012. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to assess the association between parity and incident type 2 diabetes, and mediation analysis to estimate the mediation effect of adiposity indicators. Compared to women with one parity, the hazard ratio (HR) (95% confidence interval (CI)) for incident type 2 diabetes was 0.85 (0.44-1.63), 1.20 (1.11-1.30), 1.28 (1.16-1.41) and 1.27 (1.14-1.42) for women with parity of 0, 2, 3, and ≥ 4, respectively. The proportion of indirect effect (95% CI) mediated by body mass index, waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, waist-to-height ratio and body fat percentage was 26.5% (19.2-52.2%), 54.5% (39.4-108.7%), 25.1% (18.2-49.1%), 35.9% (25.6-74.1%), 50.3% (36.5-98.6%) and 15.1% (- 66.4 to 112.3%), respectively. Compared to women with one parity, women with multiparity (≥ 2) had a higher risk of incident type 2 diabetes and up to half of the association was mediated by abdominal obesity.

Number of Children and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Japanese Women: Findings from the Tohoku Medical Megabank

AIM

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the second largest cause of death in Japanese women. Pregnancy and childbirth are events that put a strain on the cardiovascular system. When postpartum weight retention is insufficient, weight gain due to fat deposition during pregnancy might lead to obesity. Thus, we examined the effects of body mass index (BMI) in middle and older ages and the number of children on CVD and metabolic disorders.

METHODS

From the Tohoku Medical Megabank database, we used data from 32,000 women aged ≥ 50 years. This database contains obstetrical history, medical history, and laboratory data obtained once from 2013 to 2015.

RESULTS

The mean age of participants was 64.2 years, and 47.7% of women had two children. Compared with nulliparous women, those who had a higher number of children had higher BMI and systolic blood pressure. The prevalence of CVD was highest in obese class I (30 kg/m² ≤ BMI) women with three or more children and the prevalence of hypertension was high in pre-obese (25 kg/m² ≤ BMI ＜30 kg/m²) and obese class I women with children. Conversely, the prevalence of diabetes and proportion of women whose HbA1c values were ＞6.5% was highest in obese class I women with no children.

CONCLUSION

In this study, we found that not only BMI but also the number of children influenced the health status of middle- and older-aged women, suggesting the importance of childbirth history in the health management of women.

Live birth/parity number and the risk of incident hypertension among parous women during over 13 years of follow-up

The effect of live birth/parity number on incident hypertension was investigated among Iranian parous women aged 30–70 years. The study population included 2188 normotensive women who were enrolled in 1999–2001. They were followed for incident hypertension (based on JNC 7 report) by 3‐year intervals up to April 2018. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models, adjusted for a wide set of potential hypertension risk factors, reproductive factors, and pregnancy complications, were applied to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the number of parity/live birth(s) for incident hypertension. Additionally, as a sensitivity analysis, age‐scale Cox regression was also done. During a median follow‐up of 13.5 years, 935 incident hypertension have occurred. Compared to those with two live births, the participants who had 3 and ≥4 live births were at higher risk of hypertension development by the HRs of 1.25 [95% CI: 1.02–1.55] and 1.39 [1.12–1.72], respectively, in the full‐adjusted model. Moreover, each additional live birth increased the risk of hypertension by a HR of 1.06 [95%CI: 1.02–1.11]. Results of parity number were also similar. Considering age as time scale also did not change the results generally. The authors found a significant interaction between live birth/parity number and age groups; the adverse effect of higher live birth/parity numbers on hypertension development was mainly found among those aged < 50 years. To sum up, compared to the live birth/parity number of two, Iranian women with ≥3 live birth/parity had a higher risk of incident hypertension; the issue was more prominent among younger mothers.

Impact of Male-Origin Microchimerism on Cardiovascular Disease in Women: A Prospective Cohort Study

Increasing parity is associated with an increased risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke in women. This is probably attributable to biological responses of pregnancy. Male cells of presumed fetal origin are commonly present in women years after pregnancy-a phenomenon termed male-origin microchimerism (MOM). In this study, we investigated whether MOM was associated with risk of IHD and ischemic stroke in women. We evaluated the association between MOM and ischemic events in a cohort of 766 Danish women enrolled in the Diet, Cancer and Health cohort during 1993-1997 when aged 50-64 years. Of these women, 545 (71.2%) tested positive for MOM through targeting of the Y chromosome (DYS14 DNA sequence) in their blood. Multiple Cox regression models were used to calculate hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals. We found that MOM was associated with a significantly reduced rate of IHD (hazard ratio = 0.44, 95% confidence interval: 0.23, 0.83) but not ischemic stroke (hazard ratio = 0.80, 95% confidence interval: 0.46, 1.41). Our findings show that microchimerism positivity is associated with a lower rate of later IHD development in women. Although the underlying mechanisms are presently unknown, MOM may be relevant in women's cardiovascular health. More studies are needed to confirm these findings.

The Fourth Trimester: Pregnancy as a Predictor of Cardiovascular Disease

Pregnancy identifies women who may be at a greater risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), based on the development of adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs), and may identify women who may benefit from atherosclerotic CVD (ASCVD) risk reduction efforts. APOs are common and although they are separate diagnoses, all these disorders seem to share an underlying pathogenesis. What is not clear is whether the APO itself initiates a pathway that results in CVD or whether the APO uncovers a woman's predisposition to CVD. Regardless, APOs have immediate risks to maternal and foetal health, in addition to longer-term CVD consequences. CVD risk assessment and stratification in women remains complex and, historically, has underestimated risk, especially in young women. Further research is needed into the role of ASCVD risk assessment and the effect of aggressive ASCVD risk modification on CVD outcomes in women with a history of APOs.

Association between the reproductive health of young women and cardiovascular disease in later life: umbrella review

OBJECTIVE

To consolidate evidence from systematic reviews and meta-analyses investigating the association between reproductive factors in women of reproductive age and their subsequent risk of cardiovascular disease.

DESIGN

Umbrella review.

DATA SOURCES

Medline, Embase, and Cochrane databases for systematic reviews and meta-analyses from inception until 31 August 2019.

REVIEW METHODS

Two independent reviewers undertook screening, data extraction, and quality appraisal. The population was women of reproductive age. Exposures were fertility related factors and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Outcome was cardiovascular diseases in women, including ischaemic heart disease, heart failure, peripheral arterial disease, and stroke.

RESULTS

32 reviews were included, evaluating multiple risk factors over an average follow-up period of 7-10 years. All except three reviews were of moderate quality. A narrative evidence synthesis with forest plots and tabular presentations was performed. Associations for composite cardiovascular disease were: twofold for pre-eclampsia, stillbirth, and preterm birth; 1.5-1.9-fold for gestational hypertension, placental abruption, gestational diabetes, and premature ovarian insufficiency; and less than 1.5-fold for early menarche, polycystic ovary syndrome, ever parity, and early menopause. A longer length of breastfeeding was associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. The associations for ischaemic heart disease were twofold or greater for pre-eclampsia, recurrent pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, and preterm birth; 1.5-1.9-fold for current use of combined oral contraceptives (oestrogen and progesterone), recurrent miscarriage, premature ovarian insufficiency, and early menopause; and less than 1.5-fold for miscarriage, polycystic ovary syndrome, and menopausal symptoms. For stroke outcomes, the associations were twofold or more for current use of any oral contraceptive (combined oral contraceptives or progesterone only pill), pre-eclampsia, and recurrent pre-eclampsia; 1.5-1.9-fold for current use of combined oral contraceptives, gestational diabetes, and preterm birth; and less than 1.5-fold for polycystic ovary syndrome. The association for heart failure was fourfold for pre-eclampsia. No association was found between cardiovascular disease outcomes and current use of progesterone only contraceptives, use of non-oral hormonal contraceptive agents, or fertility treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

From menarche to menopause, reproductive factors were associated with cardiovascular disease in women. In this review, presenting absolute numbers on the scale of the problem was not feasible; however, if these associations are causal, they could account for a large proportion of unexplained risk of cardiovascular disease in women, and the risk might be modifiable. Identifying reproductive risk factors at an early stage in the life of women might facilitate the initiation of strategies to modify potential risks. Policy makers should consider incorporating reproductive risk factors as part of the assessment of cardiovascular risk in clinical guidelines.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO CRD42019120076.

Infertility, Gravidity, and Risk Of Diabetes among High-Risk Women in the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study

OBJECTIVE

The extent to which infertility and pregnancy independently increase risk of diabetes and subclinical atherosclerosis is not known.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We conducted a secondary analysis of Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) and the DPP Outcomes Study over a 15-year period. We included women who answered questions about gravidity and infertility at baseline (n = 2085). Infertility was defined as > 1 year of unsuccessful attempts to conceive; thus, women could have histories of infertility as well as pregnancy. Risk of diabetes associated with gravidity and infertility was calculated using Cox proportional hazards models adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, treatment arm, body mass index, and pregnancy during the study. Among women who underwent assessment of coronary artery calcification (CAC) (n = 1337), odds of CAC were calculated using logistic regression models with similar covariates.

RESULTS

Among premenopausal women (n = 1075), women with histories of pregnancy and infertility (n = 147; hazard ratio [HR] 1.80; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.30, 2.49) and women with histories of pregnancy without infertility (n = 736; HR 1.49; 95% CI 1.15, 1.93) had greater diabetes risk than nulligravid women without infertility (n = 173). Premenopausal nulligravid women with histories of infertility had a non-significant elevation in risk, although the number of these women was small (n = 19; HR 1.63; 95% CI 0.88, 3.03). Associations were not observed among postmenopausal women (n = 1010). No associations were observed between infertility or pregnancy with CAC.

CONCLUSIONS

Pregnancy, particularly combined with a history of infertility, confers increased risk of diabetes but not CAC among glucose-intolerant premenopausal women.

The effect of parity on exercise physiology in women with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

Aims

Women are overrepresented amongst patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF); however, the underpinning mechanism for this asymmetric distribution is unclear. Pregnancy represents a potential gender‐specific risk factor for HFpEF. It leads to significant physiological adaption, and increasing parity has been associated with some cardiovascular risk. We sought to examine the relationship between prior parity with the rest and exercise haemodynamic and echocardiographic profile of women with HFpEF.

Methods and results

Patients referred for assessment of exertional dyspnoea and confirmed to have a haemodynamic and clinical profile consistent with HFpEF were included. Detailed evaluation consisted of rest and exercise right heart catheterization and echocardiography. A socio‐economic and obstetric history was also documented. Fifty‐eight women were assessed and categorized as having either 0–2 births or ≥3 births, dividing the cohort equally. Women with ≥3 births achieved a lower symptom‐limited workload than those with 0–2 births [38 (24–51) vs. 46 (31–68) W, P = 0.04]. Women with ≥3 births had a greater rise in pulmonary capillary wedge pressure indexed to workload with exercise [0.5 (0.3–0.8) vs. 0.3 (0.2–0.5) mmHg/W, P = 0.03], paralleled by a greater rise in right atrial pressure [10 (8–12) vs. 7 (3–11), P = 0.01]. Pulmonary vascular resistance was also higher in women with ≥3 births [1.9 (1.6–2.4) vs. 1.6 (1.4–1.9) mmHg/L/min rest, P = 0.046, and 1.9 (2.4–2.4) vs. 1.4 (1–1.8) mmHg/L/min exercise, P = 0.024]. Left ventricular ejection fraction was lower at rest [60 (57–61) vs. 63 (60–66), P = 0.008] and during exercise [65 (62–67) vs. 68 (66–70), P = 0.038] in women with higher parity.

Conclusions

Higher parity is associated with greater impairments in multiple physiologic parameters of HFpEF severity in women, including diastolic reserve, pulmonary vascular resistance, and systolic dysfunction.

Maternal reproductive history and premenopausal risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease: a Danish cohort study

OBJECTIVES

The metabolic changes of pregnancy resemble a cardiovascular risk profile and may persist postpartum, with body mass index (BMI) as a potential modifier. We examined the association between the number of live-birth pregnancies and maternal premenopausal risks of hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD), accounting for pre-pregnancy BMI as well as abortions and stillbirths.

DESIGN

A prospective cohort study.

SETTING

Mothers from the Danish National Birth Cohort (1996 to 2002). For each of these women, registry data on all pregnancies from 1973 to 2011 were obtained, as were self-reported pre-pregnancy weight and height.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 44 552 first-time mothers in the Danish National Birth Cohort.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Risks of hypertension and CVD during and between live-birth pregnancies separately and combined as live-birth cycles.

RESULTS

After adjustment for abortions, stillbirths, pre-pregnancy BMI and other covariates, a higher risk of hypertension was observed in the first (HR 1.53, 95% CI: 1.37 to 1.72) and fourth and subsequent live-birth cycles (HR 1.72, 95% CI: 1.15 to 2.58), compared with the second. However, as number of live-birth pregnancies increased, risk of hypertension decreased during live-birth pregnancies and increased between live-birth pregnancies (tests for trend, p<0.01). For CVD, we found an overall J-shaped but non-significant association with number of live-birth pregnancies. No interaction with pre-pregnancy BMI (<25 versus ≥25 kg/m²) was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Premenopausal women had the highest risk of hypertension and CVD during their first live-birth pregnancy and after their fourth live-birth pregnancy. All risks were independent of BMI before the first live-birth pregnancy and of number of abortions and stillbirths.

Association between reproductive factors and carotid atherosclerosis in post-menopausal women

OBJECTIVES

Assessment of cardiovascular risk in women is specific and hormonal factors should be considered to avoid its underestimation. So far, studies on this issue are lacking and the impact of reproductive factors on cardiovascular risk has yet to be determined. We study the association between reproductive factors and carotid atherosclerosis, a non-invasive marker of cardiovascular diseases, in post-menopause.

STUDY DESIGN

In this cross-sectional study, data were analyzed from post-menopausal women with at least one cardiovascular risk factor followed through a dedicated healthcare pathway at the Lille University Hospital between January 1st, 2013 and December 31st, 2016.

MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURES

The primary outcome was the presence of plaque or stenosis at carotid ultrasound.

RESULTS

We included 370 post-menopausal women with a mean age of 63.4 ± 0.5 years. Carotid atherosclerosis was found in 161 (43,3%) women. Women with 3 or more children had higher odds of having carotid atherosclerosis than women with fewer than 3 children after adjustment for age, OR 1,69 [CI 95% 1,09-2,61], p = 0,019, and after further adjustment for anthropometric measures, traditional cardiovascular risk factors and pregnancy-related complications: OR 1,65 [CI 95% 1,05-2,62], p = 0,031. No other reproductive factor was significantly associated with carotid atherosclerosis.

CONCLUSIONS

A higher parity was associated with higher odds of carotid atherosclerosis independently of age, traditional risk factors, anthropometric measures and gestational diseases among post-menopausal women at risk of cardiovascular diseases. This suggests the importance of considering the number of children when assessing cardiovascular risk in women.

The long and short term effects of motherhood on the brain

Becoming a mother is associated with dramatic changes in physiology, endocrinology, immune function, and behaviour that begins during pregnancy and persists into the postpartum. Evidence also suggests that motherhood is accompanied by long-term changes in brain function. In this review, we summarize the short (pregnancy and postpartum) and long-term (beyond the postpartum and into middle age) effects of pregnancy and motherhood on cognition, neuroplasticity, and neuroimmune signalling. We also discuss the effects of previous history of pregnancy and motherhood (parity) on brain health and disease (neurodegenerative diseases and stroke outcomes) and on efficacy of hormone and antidepressant treatments. Finally, we argue that pregnancy and motherhood are unique female experiences that need to be taken into account to better understand female brain function and aging.

Contributions of sex to cerebrovascular function and pathology

Sex differences exist in how cerebral blood vessels function under both physiological and pathological conditions, contributing to observed sex differences in risk and outcomes of cerebrovascular diseases (CBVDs), such as vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID) and stroke. Throughout most of the lifespan, women are protected from CBVDs; however, risk increases following menopause, suggesting sex hormones may play a significant role in this protection. The cerebrovasculature is a target for sex hormones, including estrogens, progestins, and androgens, where they can influence numerous vascular functions and pathologies. While there is a plethora of information on estrogen, the effects of progestins and androgens on the cerebrovasculature are less well-defined. Estrogen decreases cerebral tone and increases cerebral blood flow, while androgens increase tone. Both estrogens and androgens enhance angiogenesis/cerebrovascular remodeling. While both estrogens and androgens attenuate cerebrovascular inflammation, pro-inflammatory effects of androgens under physiological conditions have also been demonstrated. Sex hormones exert additional neuroprotective effects by attenuating oxidative stress and maintaining integrity and function of the blood brain barrier. Most animal studies utilize young, healthy, gonadectomized animals, which do not mimic the clinical conditions of aging individuals likely to get CBVDs. This is also concerning, as sex hormones appear to mediate cerebrovascular function differently based on age and disease state (e.g. metabolic syndrome). Through this review, we hope to inspire others to consider sex as a key biological variable in cerebrovascular research, as greater understanding of sex differences in cerebrovascular function will assist in developing personalized approaches to prevent and treat CBVDs.

Parity and risk of maternal cardiovascular disease: A dose-response meta-analysis of cohort studies

BACKGROUND

Parity has been reported to play an important role in the development of cardiovascular disease; however, the results are still controversial. We aimed to conduct a meta-analysis of cohort studies to assess quantitatively the association between parity and cardiovascular disease risk.

METHODS

PubMed and Web of Science databases were searched to 1 June 2018, supplemented by manual searches of the bibliographies of retrieved articles. And multivariate-adjusted relative risks were pooled by using random-effects models. Restricted cubic spline analysis with four knots was used to explore the relationship of parity and the risk of cardiovascular disease.

RESULTS

Ten cohort studies involving 150,512 incident cases of cardiovascular disease among 3,089,929 participants were included in the meta-analysis. A significant association between parity and cardiovascular disease risk was observed while comparing parity with nulliparity, with a summarised relative risk of 1.14 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.09-1.18; I² = 62.0%, P = 0.002). In the dose-response analysis, we observed a potential non-linear J-shaped dose-response relationship between the number of parity and cardiovascular disease risk, the summary risk estimates for an increase of one live birth was 1.04 (95% CI 1.02-1.05), with significant heterogeneity ( I² = 89.6%). In addition, the similar J-shaped associations between parturition number and cardiovascular disease, ischaemic heart disease or stroke risk were also observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that ever parity is related to cardiovascular disease risk and there is an association between the number of pregnancies and the risk of cardiovascular disease. Since the number of included studies was limited, further studies are warranted to confirm our findings.

Association between number of children and carotid intima-media thickness in Bangladesh

Previous studies on the association between number of children and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) were limited to Western populations. Pregnancy in women is associated with physiologic changes that may influence the risk of cardiovascular disease. Comparing the association between number of children and cIMT in men and women can provide insights on whether the association may be due to pregnancy. We investigated the association between number of children and cIMT among 718 female (mean age 37.5 years) and 417 male participants (mean age 41.3 years), randomly selected from the Health Effect of Arsenic Longitudinal Study (HEALS), a population-based cohort study in Bangladesh. Multivariate linear regression was used to assess the association and to control for education attainment, history of diabetes, age, smoking, betel use, BMI, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure. The average number of children was 4.43 for women and 3.74 for men. There were no nulliparous women. We observed a positive association between number of children and cIMT in women. Mean cIMT increased by 4.5 μm (95% CI, 0.8–8.1) per increment of one birth (P = 0.02). Compared to women with two children, cIMT in women with 4 children and ≥5 children was 23.6μm (95%CI, 2.6–44.7; P = 0.03) and 25.1 μm (95%CI, 3.5–46.6; P = 0.02) greater, respectively. The association was not modified by BMI, SBP, betel use or age. Data in men showed no evidence of association (P = 0.4). The finding suggests a role of high parity in atherosclerosis in women of a low-income, high parity population.

Oxidative-Nitrative Stress and Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase Activation 3 Years after Pregnancy

Background

Oxidative-nitrative stress and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase activation have been previously observed in healthy and gestational diabetic pregnancies, and they were also linked to the development of metabolic diseases. The aim of the present study was to examine these parameters and their correlation to known metabolic risk factors following healthy and gestational diabetic pregnancies.

Methods

Fasting and 2 h postload plasma total peroxide level, protein tyrosine nitration, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase activation were measured in circulating leukocytes three years after delivery in women following healthy, "mild" (diet-treated) or "severe" (insulin-treated) gestational diabetic pregnancy during a standard 75 g OGTT. Nulliparous women and men served as control groups.

Results

Fasting plasma total peroxide level was significantly elevated in women with previous pregnancy (B = 0.52 ± 0.13; p < 0.001), with further increase in women with insulin-treated gestational diabetes (B = 0.36 ± 0.17; p < 0.05) (R² = 0.419). Its level was independently related to previous pregnancy (B = 0.47 ± 0.14; p < 0.01) and current CRP levels (B = 0.06 ± 0.02; p < 0.05) (R² = 0.306).

Conclusions

Elevated oxidative stress but not nitrative stress or poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase activation can be measured three years after pregnancy. The increased oxidative stress may reflect the cost of reproduction and possibly play a role in the increased metabolic risk observed in women with a history of severe gestational diabetes mellitus.

Common carotid artery intima-media thickness increases throughout the pregnancy cycle: a prospective cohort study

Background

High parity is associated with greater cardiovascular disease (CVD) among mid-life and older women. Prospective studies of arterial change throughout pregnancy are needed to provide insight into potential mechanisms. This study assessed vascular adaptation across pregnancy in healthy first-time pregnant women.

Methods

The Maternal Vascular Adaptation to Healthy Pregnancy Study (Pittsburgh, PA, 2010–2015) assessed 37 primigravid women each trimester, 6–8 weeks after delivery and 1–5 years postpartum, with B-mode ultrasound imaging of common carotid artery (CCA) intima-media thickness (IMT) and inter-adventitial diameter (IAD) to assess associations with physical and cardiometabolic measures.

Results

Thirty-seven women (age 28.2 ± 4.5 years, pre-pregnant BMI 24.4 ± 3.2 kg/m²) experienced uncomplicated pregnancies. After adjustment for age and pre-pregnancy BMI, mean (SE) IAD (mm) increased each trimester, from 6.38 (0.08) in the 1st trimester to 6.92 (0.09) in the 3rd trimester, and then returned to 1st trimester levels postpartum (6.35 [0.07], P <  0.001). In contrast, mean (SE) CCA IMT (mm) increased from the 2nd trimester (i.e., 0.546 [0.01]) onward, and remained higher at an average of 2.7 years postpartum (0.581 [0.02], P = 0.03). Weight partially explained changes in IAD.

Conclusions

In uncomplicated first pregnancies, IAD increased and returned to 1st trimester levels postpartum. In contrast, CCA IMT remained increased 2 years postpartum. Maternal weight explained vascular changes better than did metabolic changes. Increased postpartum CCA IMT may persist and contribute to long-term CVD risk.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12884-018-1841-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Fertility History and Physical and Mental Health Changes in European Older Adults

Previous studies have shown that aspects of reproductive history, such as earlier parenthood and high parity, are associated with poorer health in mid and later life. However, it is unclear which dimensions of health are most affected by reproductive history, and whether the pattern of associations varies for measures of physical, psychological and cognitive health. Such variation might provide more insight into possible underlying mechanisms. We use longitudinal data for men and women aged 50–79 years in ten European countries from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe to analyse associations between completed fertility history and self-reported and observed health indicators measured 2–3 years apart (functional limitations, chronic diseases, grip strength, depression and cognition), adjusting for socio-demographic, and health factors at baseline. Using multiple imputation and pattern mixture modelling, we tested the robustness of estimates to missing data mechanisms. The results are partly consistent with previous studies and show that women who became mothers before age 20 had worse functional health at baseline and were more likely to suffer functional health declines. Parents of 4 or more children had worse physical, psychological and cognitive health at baseline and were more likely to develop circulatory disease over the follow-up period. Men who delayed fatherhood until age 35 or later had better health at baseline but did not experience significantly different health declines. This study improves our understanding of linkages between fertility histories and later life health and possible implications of changes in fertility patterns for population health. However, research ideally using prospective life course data is needed to further elucidate possible mechanisms, considering interactions with partnership histories, health behaviour patterns and socio-economic trajectories.

Candidate SNP markers of reproductive potential are predicted by a significant change in the affinity of TATA-binding protein for human gene promoters

BACKGROUND

The progress of medicine, science, technology, education, and culture improves, year by year, quality of life and life expectancy of the populace. The modern human has a chance to further improve the quality and duration of his/her life and the lives of his/her loved ones by bringing their lifestyle in line with their sequenced individual genomes. With this in mind, one of genome-based developments at the junction of personalized medicine and bioinformatics will be considered in this work, where we used two Web services: (i) SNP_TATA_Comparator to search for alleles with a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) that alters the affinity of TATA-binding protein (TBP) for the TATA boxes of human gene promoters and (ii) PubMed to look for retrospective clinical reviews on changes in physiological indicators of reproductive potential in carriers of these alleles.

RESULTS

A total of 126 SNP markers of female reproductive potential, capable of altering the affinity of TBP for gene promoters, were found using the two above-mentioned Web services. For example, 10 candidate SNP markers of thrombosis (e.g., rs563763767) can cause overproduction of coagulation inducers. In pregnant women, Hughes syndrome provokes thrombosis with a fatal outcome although this syndrome can be diagnosed and eliminated even at the earliest stages of its development. Thus, in women carrying any of the above SNPs, preventive treatment of this syndrome before a planned pregnancy can reduce the risk of death. Similarly, seven SNP markers predicted here (e.g., rs774688955) can elevate the risk of myocardial infarction. In line with Bowles' lifespan theory, women carrying any of these SNPs may modify their lifestyle to improve their longevity if they can take under advisement that risks of myocardial infarction increase with age of the mother, total number of pregnancies, in multiple pregnancies, pregnancies under the age of 20, hypertension, preeclampsia, menstrual cycle irregularity, and in women smokers.

CONCLUSIONS

According to Bowles' lifespan theory-which links reproductive potential, quality of life, and life expectancy-the above information was compiled for those who would like to reduce risks of diseases corresponding to alleles in own sequenced genomes. Candidate SNP markers can focus the clinical analysis of unannotated SNPs, after which they may become useful for people who would like to bring their lifestyle in line with their sequenced individual genomes.

Multiparity improves outcomes after cerebral ischemia in female mice despite features of increased metabovascular risk

Females show a varying degree of ischemic sensitivity throughout their lifespan, which is not fully explained by hormonal or genetic factors. Epidemiological data suggest that sex-specific life experiences such as pregnancy increase stroke risk. This work evaluated the role of parity on stroke outcome. Age-matched virgin (i.e., nulliparous) and multiparous mice were subjected to 60 min of reversible middle cerebral artery occlusion and evaluated for infarct volume, behavioral recovery, and inflammation. Using an established mating paradigm, fetal microchimeric cells present in maternal mice were also tracked after parturition and stroke. Parity was associated with sedentary behavior, weight gain, and higher triglyceride and cholesterol levels. The multiparous brain exhibited features of immune suppression, with dampened baseline microglial activity. After acute stroke, multiparous mice had smaller infarcts, less glial activation, and less behavioral impairment in the critical recovery window of 72 h. Behavioral recovery was significantly better in multiparous females compared with nulliparous mice 1 mo after stroke. This recovery was accompanied by an increase in poststroke angiogenesis that was correlated with improved performance on sensorimotor and cognitive tests. Multiparous mice had higher levels of VEGF, both at baseline and after stroke. GFP+ fetal cells were detected in the blood and migrated to areas of tissue injury where they adopted endothelial morphology 30 d after injury. Reproductive experience has profound and complex effects on neurovascular health and disease. Inclusion of female mice with reproductive experience in preclinical studies may better reflect the life-long patterning of ischemic stroke risk in women.

Motherhood, Fatherhood and Midlife Weight Gain in a US Cohort: Associations differ by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic position

While there is an association of greater short-term weight gain with childbearing among women, less is known about longer-term weight gain, whether men have similar gains, and how this varies by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic position. Our cohort consisted of a nationally representative sample of 7356 Americans with oversampling of Black and Hispanic populations. We estimated the associations between number of biological children and parental weight, measured as both change in self-reported body mass index (BMI) from age 18 and overweight/obese status (BMI ≥ 25) at age 40. We performed multivariate linear and logistic regression analysis and tested for effect modification by gender. For change in BMI, men gained on average 0.28 BMI (95% CI: (0.01, 0.55)) units per child, while women gained 0.13 units per child (95% CI: (-0.22, 0.48)). The adjusted odds ratios for overweight/obesity associated with each child were 1.32 (95% CI: (1.11, 1.58)) for men and 1.15 (95% CI: (1.01, 1.31)) for women. Stratified analyses by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic position suggested that the observed full-cohort differences were driven primarily by gendered differences in low-income Hispanics and Whites – with the greatest associations among Hispanic men. For example, among low-income Hispanic men we observed a positive relationship between the number of children and weight change by age 40, with average weight change of 0.47 units per child (95%CI: (-0.65, 1.59 For low-income Hispanic women, however, the average weight change was -0.59 units per child (95%CI: (-1.70, 0.47), and the P-value for the test of interaction between gender and number of children was P < 0.001. Our findings suggest that the shared social and economic aspects of raising children play an important role in determining parental weight at mid-life.

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Researchers have seen associations between having a child and short term weight gain.

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We examined the relationship of having children with long term weight gain by gender.

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We did not observe any evidence that women tended to gain more weight than men.

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In some subcohorts, we observed stronger associations among men than women.

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Hispanics of lower socioeconomic position had the strongest gendered difference.

The Association between Parity and Inflammation among Mexican-American Women of Reproductive Age Varies by Acculturation Level: Results of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2006)

INTRODUCTION

Parity and acculturation are linked with cardiometabolic risk. Their joint association with cardiometabolic health among Mexican-American women is less established, even though immigrant Mexican-American women have the highest fertility rate in the United States. We examined the modifying role of acculturation on the association of parity with a cardiometabolic risk biomarker, C-reactive protein (CRP).

METHODS

Participants (n = 1,002) were women of Mexican background, ages 16 to 39 years, in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 through 2006. The association between parity and elevated CRP was examined using logistic regression adjusted for age, household food security, access to health care, hemoglobin A1c, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, waist circumference, physical activity, acculturation, and a product term of parity and acculturation. Acculturation was measured on a 6-point score based on nativity status and duration of residence in the United States (0, Mexico born, U.S. resident <10 years; 1, Mexico born, U.S. resident 10-19 years; 2-Mexico born, U.S. resident ≥20 years; and 3, U.S. born), and language used at home (0, Spanish; 1, bilingual; 2, English). Scores of 0 or 1, 2 or 3, and 4 or 5 represented low, moderate, and high acculturation, respectively.

RESULTS

The association of parity with elevated CRP varied by acculturation level (p_interaction = 0.10). Parity was associated with elevated CRP among women with low (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 2.26; 95% CI, 1.07-4.80) and moderate acculturation (adjusted OR, 2.79; 95% CI, 1.16-6.73), compared with nulliparous women.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher odds of elevated CRP associated with parity in immigrant Mexican-American women of reproductive age indicate the need for greater use of maternal/women's health care services for cardiometabolic risk screening and interventions.

Parity and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in Middle-aged and Older Chinese Women

Pregnancy leads to physiological changes in lipid, glucose levels, and weight, which may increase the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in later life. The purpose of this study was to examine whether parity is associated with CHD in middle-aged and older Chinese women. A total of 20,207 women aged 37 to 94 years from Dongfeng-Tongji Cohort who completed the questionnaire, were medically examined and provided blood samples, were included in our analysis. CHD cases were determined by self-report of physician diagnosis through face-to-face interviews. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between parity and CHD. The rate of CHD was 15.8%. Parity had a positive association with CHD without adjustment of covariates. After controlling for the potential confounders, increasing risk of coronary heart disease was observed in women who had two (OR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.41-1.93), three (OR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.44-2.16), and four or more live births (OR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.33-2.20) compared with women with just one live birth. High parity was significantly associated with increasing risk of CHD in Chinese women. This suggests that multiparity may be a risk factor for CHD among Chinese women.

Parity and Risk of Stroke among Chinese Women: Cross-sectional Evidence from the Dongfeng-Tongji Cohort Study

Epidemiological studies have investigated the association between parity and the risk of stroke, but the results have been inconsistent. The objective of this study was to assess the association among middle-aged and older Chinese women. We used data from the Dongfeng-Tongji Cohort Study. In total, 14,277 women were included in the analysis. Participants were classified into four groups according to parity. Stroke cases were self-reported during face-to-face interviews. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to investigate the association between parity and the risk of stroke while controlling for potential confounders. The prevalence of stroke among the study subjects was 2.7% (380 of 14,277). In the fully adjusted model, women who had experienced two, three, or four or more live births had 1.24 times (95% CI, 0.85-1.81), 1.97 times (95% CI, 1.30-2.98) and 1.86 times (95% CI, 1.14-3.03), higher risk of stroke, respectively, compared with women who had experienced one live birth. High parity was associated with an increasing risk of stroke in the present study. Further longitudinal studies are needed to confirm the association and to explore the unclear mechanism underlying the link between parity and stroke risk.

Parity and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality: a Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Cohort Studies

Parity has been shown to inversely associate with cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality, but the evidence of epidemiological studies is still controversial. Therefore, we quantitatively assessed the relationship between parity and CVD mortality by summarizing the evidence from prospective studies. We searched MEDLINE (PubMed), EMBASE and ISI Web of Science databases for relevant prospective studies of parity and CVD mortality through the end of March 2015. Fixed- or random-effects models were used to estimate summary relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Heterogeneity among studies was assessed using the I² statistics. All statistical tests were two-sided. Ten prospective studies were included with a total of 994,810 participants and 16,601 CVD events. A borderline significant inverse association was observed while comparing parity with nulliparous, with summarized RR = 0.79 (95% CI: 0.60–1.06; I² = 90.9%, P < 0.001). In dose-response analysis, we observed a significant nonlinear association between parity number and CVD mortality. The greatest risk reduction appeared when the parity number reached four. The findings of this meta-analysis suggests that ever parity is inversely related to CVD mortality. Furthermore, there is a statistically significant nonlinear inverse association between parity number and CVD mortality.

Nulliparity is associated with less healthy markers of subclinical cardiovascular disease in young women with overweight and obesity

OBJECTIVE

Higher parity is associated with increased subclinical cardiovascular disease (CVD) in mid-life and older women and with increased CVD risk overall. The relationship between parity, subclinical CVD, and infertility in young women with overweight and obesity has been infrequently evaluated.

METHODS

Reproductive histories were obtained in 191 (66%) young women with overweight and obesity (BMI 25-39.9 kg/m(2) ) participating in a weight loss trial. Baseline carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and inter-adventitial diameter (IAD) were assessed via B-mode ultrasound. Linear regression was used to estimate the relationship between parity and carotid measures, adjusted for demographic, cardiovascular, and reproductive risk factors.

RESULTS

Nulliparous women (n = 70, age 34.9 ± 7.1) had increased common carotid IAD (0.230 mm, SE 0.08, P = 0.003) and mean common carotid artery (CCA) IMT (0.031 mm, SE 0.01, P = 0.007) compared with parous women (n = 102, age 39.5 ± 4.9), persisting after adjustment for age, race, and CVD risk factors. No other reproductive factors were statistically significantly associated.

CONCLUSIONS

Nulliparity is associated with markers of less healthy carotid arteries in a sample of disease-free 25- to 45-year-old women with overweight or obesity. This may represent a beneficial effect of pregnancy or indicate overall better health in women with overweight/obesity who are capable of childbearing.

Association between number of live births and markers of subclinical atherosclerosis: The Dallas Heart Study

AIMS

Higher parity has been associated with increased maternal risk of cardiovascular disease, but the mechanism is not well delineated. Whether the number of live births is associated with coronary and aortic subclinical atherosclerosis has not been fully evaluated.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Women from the Dallas Heart Study, a multiethnic population-based cohort of subjects aged 30-65 years, were included if they had data on self-reported live births and coronary artery calcium (CAC) measured by computed tomography or aortic wall thickness (AWT) by MRI. Coronary artery calcium was positive if >10 Agatston units, and aortic wall thickness if greater than the 75(th) percentile reference point for age and gender. Among the 1644 women included in the study, the mean age was 45 years and 55% were Black. Sequential multivariable models were done adjusting for age, race, traditional cardiovascular risk factors, body mass index, income, education, hormone replacement therapy, oral contraceptives, and physical activity. Using women with 2-3 live births as the reference, those with four or more live births had an increased prevalence of elevated coronary artery calcium (odds ratio (OR) 2.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.28-3.65) and aortic wall thickness (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.04-2.41). Women with 0-1 live births also had increased coronary artery calcium (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.16-3.03) and aortic wall thickness (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.05-2.09) after multivariable adjustment.

CONCLUSION

The number of live births is associated with subclinical coronary and aortic atherosclerosis, with an apparent U-shaped relationship. Further studies are needed to confirm this association and explore the biological underpinnings of these findings.

Lactation and cardiovascular risk factors in mothers in a population-based study: the HUNT-study

Background

Lactation has beneficial short term effects on maternal metabolic health, but the long term effects are less well known.

Methods

We studied the association between lifetime duration of lactation and cardiovascular risk factors in mothers later in life among 21,368 parous women aged 20 to 85 years attending the second Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT2) in 1995–1997, Norway, a cross-sectional population-based study. General linear modelling was used to calculate mean values of known cardiovascular risk factor levels in five categories of lifetime duration of lactation. Logistic regression was conducted to estimate odds ratios of hypertension, obesity and diabetes.

Results

Among women aged 50 years or younger, lifetime duration of lactation was significantly and inversely associated with body mass index (P-trend, < 0.001), waist circumference (P-trend, < 0.001), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (both P-trends, < 0.001), and serum levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (all P-trends, < 0.001) after adjustment for covariates. Parous women aged 50 years or younger who had never lactated had higher prevalence of hypertension, obesity and diabetes. In this age group, compared to women who had lactated for 24 months or more, parous women who had never lactated had an OR for hypertension of 1.88 (95% CI 1.41, 2.51), an OR for obesity of 3.37 (95% CI 2.51, 4.51) and an OR for diabetes of 5.87 (95% CI 2.25, 15.3). Among women older than 50 years there were no clear associations.

Conclusion

Lifetime duration of lactation was associated with long term reduced cardiovascular risk levels in mothers aged 50 years or younger.

Association of number of live births with left ventricular structure and function. The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)

BACKGROUND

Pregnancy is associated with marked maternal cardiovascular/hemodynamic changes. A greater number of pregnancies may be associated with long-term subclinical changes in left ventricular (LV) remodeling.

METHODS

Among 2,234 white, black, Hispanic, and Chinese women (mean age 62 years) in the MESA, we used linear regression to relate live births and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging LV measures. Covariates included age, ethnicity, height, income, education, birth country, smoking, menopause, and oral contraceptive duration. Models were additionally adjusted for potential mediators: systolic blood pressure, antihypertensive use, total/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, diabetes, and body mass index. We performed sensitivity analyses excluding 763 women in the lowest socioeconomic group: annual income <$25,000 and lower high school level of education.

RESULTS

With each live birth, LV mass increased 1.26 g; LV end-diastolic volume, 0.74 mL; and LV end-systolic volume, 0.45 mL; LV ejection fraction decreased 0.18% (P trend <0.05). Changes were most notable for the category of women with ≥5 pregnancies. Upon adjustment for potential biologic mediators, live births remained positively associated with LV mass and end-systolic volume. Live births remained significantly associated with LV end-systolic, end-diastolic volumes, and LV mass (P trend ≤0.02) after excluding women in the lowest socioeconomic group.

CONCLUSIONS

Number of live births is associated with key LV structural and functional measures in middle to older ages, even after adjustment for sociodemographic factors and cardiovascular disease risk factors. Hemodynamic changes during pregnancy may be associated with cardiac structure/function beyond childbearing years.

The association of reproductive history with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in older women: the Rancho Bernardo Study

OBJECTIVE

To examine associations of gravidity and parity with all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality in postmenopausal women.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study.

SETTING

Rancho Bernardo, a southern California community.

PATIENT(S)

One thousand two hundred ninety-four postmenopausal women ages 50-96 who attended a 1984-87 research clinic visit at which reproductive and medical histories were obtained and who were followed through 2007.

INTERVENTION(S)

None.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

All-cause, CVD, CHD, and non-CHD CVD mortality, determined by nosologist-coded death certificates.

RESULT(S)

Average baseline age was 70.6 ± 9.2. Numbers of pregnancies ranged from 0 to 13 (median = 2); births ranged from 0 to 11 (median = 2). During a median of 19.3 years of follow-up, 707 women (54.6%) died, with 46.5% attributed to CVD, 20.5% to CHD, and 26.0% to non-CHD CVD. Trend analyses showed inverse associations of gravidity with CVD mortality and non-CHD CVD mortality. Women with four or more pregnancies were less likely than nulligravidas to have fatal CVD (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.40-0.99) and non-CHD CVD (HR = 0.48, 95% CI = 0.26-0.91) independent of age, years postmenopause, obesity, and HDL. Associations increased after the first decade of follow-up. Parity and gravidity were not associated with overall or CHD mortality.

CONCLUSION(S)

High gravidity was associated with reduced CVD and non-CHD CVD mortality in postmenopausal women. Protective associations could reflect biological mechanisms that occur with repeated pregnancy or greater social support related to family size among multiparous women.

Number of children and change in markers of metabolic health over 9-years in men and women. Data from the DESIR study

AIM

Parity is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes, possibly mediated by long-term modification of metabolic health. Studying associations between the number of children with health and disease in men in addition to women allows for differentiation between the social and lifestyle influences of child-rearing, and the biological influences of childbearing. We sought to determine whether the number of children is associated with the incidence of raised fasting glucose (fasting plasma glucose≥6.1 mmol/L) and changes in glucose, insulin, insulin resistance and β-cell function over 9-years.

METHODS

Analysis of 1798 women and 1737 men from the DESIR study.

RESULTS

The number of children was associated with change in fasting glucose for women (P(trend)=0.02) and men (P(trend)=0.03), and increased incidence of raised fasting glucose by 30% (95% CI: 15, 47%) per child for men, but not women (3% [95% CI: -8, 15%]). There was a J-shaped association between number of children and change in insulin (P=0.01) and insulin resistance (P=0.005) for women, and a reduction in β-cell function in parous women (P=0.07). Men with children had increases in insulin (P=0.02), insulin resistance (P=0.02), and β-cell function (P=0.07).

CONCLUSIONS

The number of children a person has is associated with changes in metabolic health indices long after childbirth for both men and women. The distinct gender differences in deterioration of metabolic health indices emphasize that childbearing and child-rearing are likely to have differential influences on metabolic health.

Childbearing, Child-Rearing, Cardiovascular Risk Factors, and Progression of Carotid Intima-Media Thickness

Background and Purpose— Parity is associated with the risk of clinical cardiovascular events and the severity of preclinical atherosclerosis in older subjects. We sought to determine whether childbearing is associated with concurrent changes in cardiovascular risk factors and the progression of carotid intima-media thickness.

Methods— We examined the association between the number of children born during a 6-year period and concurrent changes in cardiovascular risk factors and progression of carotid intima-media thickness in men and women of reproductive age from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns study. Complete data for parity and carotid intima-media thickness were available for 1786 subjects (1005 females, 781 males).

Results— For females, childbirth during the 6-year follow-up was associated with concurrent reductions in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( P trend <0.0001), apolipoprotein A-I ( P trend <0.0001), and apolipoprotein B ( P trend =0.01); a redistribution of adiposity to abdominal deposits; and increased progression of carotid intima-media thickness (7.5±3.2 μm/birth [mean±SEM], P =0.02). The association of childbirth with carotid intima-media thickness progression was not greatly modified by adjustment for concurrent changes in cardiovascular risk factors (fully adjusted: P =0.05). This association was significantly stronger in females than males ( P heterogeneity =0.001), who served as a control group exposed to the social and lifestyle influences of child-rearing but not the biological influences of childbearing.

Conclusions— The progression of carotid atherosclerosis over a 6-year period is increased in females who gave birth during the same period, independent of traditional risk factors. Mechanisms that underlie this observation possibly include parity-induced changes in nontraditional risk factors or an acute influence of pregnancy itself.

Mechanisms of gender-related outcome differences after carotid endarterectomy

OBJECTIVE

Large randomized trials have confirmed a difference in outcome after carotid endarterectomy (CEA) between men and women. In this review, we aimed to provide an overview of the gender-specific characteristics causing these perioperative and long-term outcome differences between men and women after CEA.

METHODS

A systematic search strategy with the synonyms of 'gender' and 'carotid endarterectomy' was conducted from PubMed and EMBASE databases. Only 11 relevant studies specifically discussing gender-specific related characteristics and their influence on outcome after CEA could be identified.

RESULTS

Due to the limited number of included studies, pooling of findings was impossible, and results are presented in a descriptive manner. Each included study described only one possible gender-specific factor. Differences in carotid artery diameter, sex hormones, sensitivity for antiplatelet therapy, plaque morphology, occurrence of microembolic signals, and restenosis rate have all been suggested as gender-specific characteristics influencing outcome after CEA.

CONCLUSION

Higher embolic potential in women and relatively stable female plaque morphology are the best-described factors influencing the difference in outcomes between men and women. However, the overall evidence for outcome differences by gender-specific characteristics in the literature is limited.

Sex differences in the risk profile and male predominance in silent brain infarction in community-dwelling elderly subjects: the Sefuri brain MRI study

Although brain infarction is more common in men, the male predominance of silent brain infarction (SBI) was inconsistent in the earlier studies. This study was to examine the relationship between sex differences in the risk profile and SBI. We conducted a population-based, cross-sectional analysis of cardiovascular risk factors and SBI on MRI. We asked all the female participants about the age at natural menopause and parity. SBI was detected in 77 (11.3%) of 680 participants (266 men and 414 women) with a mean age of 64.5 (range 40-93) years. In the logistic analysis, age (odds ratio (OR)=2.760/10 years, 95% confidence interval (CI)=2.037-3.738), hypertension (OR=3.465, 95% CI=1.991-6.031), alcohol intake (OR=2.494, 95% CI=1.392-4.466) and smoking (OR=2.302, 95% CI=1.161-4.565) were significant factors concerning SBI. Although SBI was more prevalent among men, this sex difference disappeared on the multivariate model after adjustment for other confounders. In 215 women aged 60 years or older, age at natural menopause, early menopause, duration of menopause, number of children and age at the last parity were not significantly associated with SBI after adjustment for age. Hypertension and age were considered to be the major risk factors for SBI in community-dwelling people. Male predominance in SBI was largely due to higher prevalence of alcohol habit and smoking in men than in women in our population.