Multiparity is associated with poorer cardiovascular health among women from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Sex-specific differences in cardiovascular risk factors and implications for cardiovascular disease prevention in women

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality for women globally. Sex differences exist in the relative risks conferred by traditional CVD risk factors, including diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and smoking. Additionally, there are female-specific risk factors, including age of menarche and menopause, polycystic ovary syndrome, infertility and the use of assisted reproductive technology, spontaneous pregnancy loss, parity, and adverse pregnancy outcomes, as well as female-predominant conditions such as autoimmune diseases, migraines, and depression, that enhance women's cardiovascular risk across the lifespan. Along with measurement of traditional risk factors, these female-specific factors should also be ascertained as a part of cardiovascular risk assessment to allow for a more comprehensive overview of the risk for developing cardiometabolic disorders and CVD. When present, these factors can identify women at elevated cardiovascular risk, who may benefit from more intensive preventive interventions, including lifestyle changes and/or pharmacotherapy such as statins. This review describes sex differences in traditional risk factors and female-specific/female-predominant risk factors for CVD and examines the role of coronary artery calcium scores and certain biomarkers that can help further risk stratify patients and guide preventive recommendations.

Menstrual Cycle Irregularity in Adolescence Is Associated With Cardiometabolic Health in Early Adulthood

Background Menstrual cycle irregularities are associated with cardiovascular and cardiometabolic disease. We tested associations between age at menarche and cycle irregularity in adolescence and cardiometabolic health in early adulthood in a subsample from the Pittsburgh Girls Study. Methods and Results Data from annual interviews were used to assess age at menarche and cycle irregularity (ie, greater or less than every 27-29 days) at age 15 years. At ages 22 to 25 years, cardiometabolic health was measured in a subsample of the Pittsburgh Girls Study (n=352; 68.2% Black), including blood pressure, waist circumference, and fasting serum insulin, glucose, and lipids. T tests were used for continuous data and odds ratios for dichotomous data to compare differences in cardiometabolic health as a function of onset and regularity of menses. Early menarche (ie, before age 11 years; n=52) was associated with waist circumference (P=0.043). Participants reporting irregular cycles (n=50) in adolescence had significantly higher levels of insulin, glucose, and triglycerides, and higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure (P values range from 0.035 to 0.005) and were more likely to have clinical indicators of cardiometabolic predisease in early adulthood compared with women who reported regular cycles (odds ratios ranged from 1.89 to 2.56). Conclusions Increasing rates and earlier onset of cardiovascular and metabolic disease among women, especially among Black women, highlights the need for identifying early and reliable risk indices. Menstrual cycle irregularity may serve this purpose and help elucidate the role of women's reproductive health in protecting and conferring risk for later cardiovascular and cardiometabolic diseases.

Female-specific risk factors of parity and menopause age and risk of carotid plaque: the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis

BACKGROUND

Female-specific factors of grand multiparity (≥5 births) and early menopause age are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, mechanisms are incompletely understood. Carotid plaque is a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis and associated with increased CVD risk. We evaluated the association of female-specific factors with plaque burden.

METHODS

We included 2,313 postmenopausal women in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, free of clinical CVD, whose parity and menopause age were ascertained by questionnaires and carotid plaque measured by ultrasound at baseline and 10 years later. Parity was categorized as nulliparity (reference), 1-2, 3-4 and ≥5 live births. Menopause age was categorized as <45, 45-49, 50-54 (reference) and ≥55 years. Multivariable regression was performed to evaluate the association of parity and menopause age with carotid plaque presence (yes/no) and extent [carotid plaque score (CPS)].

RESULTS

The mean age was 64±9 years; 52.3% had prevalent carotid plaque at baseline. Compared to nulliparity, grand multiparity was significantly associated with prevalent carotid plaque after adjustment for CVD risk factors (prevalence ratio 1.17 (95% CI 1.03-1.35)) and progression of CPS over 10 years [percent difference 13% (95% CI 3-23)]. There was not any significant association of menopause age with carotid plaque presence or progression in fully-adjusted models.

CONCLUSION

In a multiethnic cohort, grand multiparity was independently associated with carotid plaque presence and progression. Early menopause, a known risk factor for CVD, was not captured by carotid plaque in this study. These findings may have implications for refining CVD risk assessment in women.

A Woman's Heart: Improving Uptake and Awareness of Cardiovascular Screening for Middle-Aged Populations

Mid-life, the years leading up to and following the menopause transition, in women is accompanied by a change in cardiometabolic risk factors, including increases in body weight, changes in body composition, a more insulin-resistant state, and a shift towards a more atherogenic dyslipidemia pattern. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessment should be performed continually throughout the lifespan, as risk is not stagnant and can change throughout the life course. However, mid-life is a particularly important time for a woman to be evaluated for CVD risk so that appropriate preventive strategies can be implemented. Along with assessing traditional risk factors, ascertainment of a reproductive history is an integral part of a comprehensive CVD risk assessment to recognize unique female-specific or female-predominant factors that modify a woman's risk. When there is uncertainty about CVD risk and the net benefit of preventive pharmacotherapy interventions (such as statins), measuring a coronary artery calcium score can help further refine risk and guide shared decision-making. Additionally, there should be heightened sensitivity around identifying signs and symptoms of ischemic heart disease in women, as these may present differently than in men. Ischemia from coronary microvascular disease and/or vasospasm may be present even without obstructive coronary artery disease and is associated with a heightened risk for major cardiovascular events and reduced quality of life. Therefore, correctly identifying CVD in women and implementing preventive and treatment therapies is paramount. Unfortunately, women are underrepresented in cardiovascular clinical trials, and more data are needed about how to best incorporate novel and emerging risk factors into CVD risk assessment. This review outlines an approach to CVD screening and risk assessment in women using several methods, focusing on the middle-aged population.

The relationship between pregnancy count and duration of breast-feeding with metabolic syndrome (Fasa Persian cohort study)

BACKGROUND

Changes that occur during pregnancy and after that during breastfeeding induce some symptoms similar to metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk factors. This study aims to determine the relationship between pregnancy, as well as the duration of breastfeeding and MetS controlling the effect of other risk factors like hypertension, glucose intolerance, triglyceride, central obesity, and reduction of high-density lipoprotein in women of Fasa Persian Cohort Study.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, 5015 women aged 35-70 years were investigated in the Sheshdeh region from 2016 to 2021, and the information related to the disease symptoms was collected through questionnaires, examinations, and laboratory tests. MetS was calculated based on two guidelines according to adult treatment panel III (ATP III) and international diabetes federation (IDF) methods. For reporting the data, the odds ratio with its 95% confidence interval was used. In order to eliminate the effect of confounders, logistic regression was used.

RESULTS

Prevalence of MetS showed a descending trend in women with up to two pregnancies and it reached 22.6% and 22.4% using ATPIII and IDF methods respectively, while with an increase in the number of pregnancies of more than two, MetS prevalence was ascending. The prevalence of MetS did not have any specific trend across various breastfeeding duration groups. Multivariate analysis approved that the odds ratio of developing MetS in comparison with women who had two pregnancies was significantly increasing trend when the pregnancy counts increased.

CONCLUSION

The chance of developing MetS based on both IDF and ATP III methods after adjustment for confounding effects would grow with an increase in the number of pregnancies to more than two and breast-feeding of more than seven years. It is recommended that women with more than two pregnancies or the long duration of breast-feeding women undergo a specialized examination to investigate and control MetS problems so that future diseases could be prevented.

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.

Vasomotor and other menopause symptoms and the prevalence of ideal cardiovascular health metrics among premenopausal stage women

OBJECTIVE

We examined the association between menopause symptoms and the prevalence of ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) metrics among premenopausal women.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study comprised 4,611 premenopausal women aged 42 to 52 years. Data for CVH metrics were collected during health screening examinations. Menopause symptoms were measured using the Korean version of the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life questionnaire. For vasomotor, psychosocial, physical, and sexual symptoms, participants were divided into absent or symptomatic groups, further divided into tertiles (range, 0-7; 7 being the most bothersome). Ideal CVH metrics were defined according to the American Heart Association Life Simple 7 metrics, except dietary component. Cardiovascular health metrics were scored from 0 (unhealthy) to 6 (healthy) and classified as poor (0-2), intermediate (3-4), and ideal (5-6). Multinomial logistic regression models were used to estimate the prevalence ratios for intermediate and poor CVH metrics using ideal CVH as the reference.

RESULTS

The overall and 4 menopause-specific quality of life domain scores were significantly associated with poorer CVH metrics scores in a dose-response manner ( P < 0.05). After adjusting for age, parity, education level, anti-Mullerian hormone levels, and alcohol intake, women with the most bothersome degree for vasomotor, psychosocial, physical, and sexual symptoms had significantly higher prevalence of poor CVH metrics, with corresponding prevalence ratios (95% confidence interval) of 2.90 (1.95-4.31), 2.07 (1.36-3.15), 3.01 (1.19-7.65), and 1.66 (1.15-2.39), respectively, compared with those without each vasomotor, psychosocial, physical, and sexual symptom.

CONCLUSIONS

Premenopausal stage women with either vasomotor or nonvasomotor menopausal symptoms have significantly higher prevalence of poor CVH metrics, compared with those without any menopausal symptoms.

Retinal Venule Coverage by Pericytes Decreases in Multiparous Mice in a Time-Dependent Manner Post-Delivery

Structural changes in the retinal vasculature have been linked to increased cardiovascular risks and also change as a function of age. Because multiparity has been associated with poorer cardiovascular health scores, we hypothesized that changes in retinal vascular caliber would be observed in multiparous, compared to nulliparous, females and retired breeder males. Age-matched nulliparous (n = 6) and multiparous (n = 11, retired breeder females with 4 ± 1 litters), and male breeder (n = 7) SMA-GFP reporter mice were included for assessment of retinal vascular structure. Multiparous females had higher body mass, heart weight, and kidney weight compared to nulliparous mice, with lower kidney and higher brain weight compared to male breeders. There was no difference in number of retinal arterioles or venules, or arteriole or venule diameter among groups; however, venous pericyte density (number per venule area) decreased in multiparous vs. nulliparous mice and was negatively associated with the time since last litter and with age. Our results suggest that the time elapsed since delivery is an important factor to be considered in multiparity studies. Taken together, changes in vascular structure and potentially function, are time- and age-dependent. Ongoing and future work will determine whether structural changes are associated with functional consequences at the blood-retinal barrier.

Markers of Cardiovascular Risk Associated with Pregnancy

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The purpose of the review is to summarize the unique cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors encountered during pregnancy and to provide the reader with a framework for acquiring a comprehensive obstetric history during the cardiovascular (CV) assessment of women.

RECENT FINDINGS

Individuals with a history of pregnancies complicated by hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), gestational diabetes (GDM), preterm delivery, low birth weight, and fetal growth restriction during pregnancy are at a higher risk of developing short- and long-term CV complications compared to those without adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs). Women with a history of APOs can be at increased risk of CVD even after achieving normoglycemia and normal blood pressure control postpartum. Risk assessment and stratification in women must account for these APOs as recommended by the 2019 American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA) guideline on the primary prevention of CVD. Early recognition, monitoring, and treatment of APOs are key to limiting CVD complications late in maternal life. Recognition of APOs as female-specific cardiovascular risk factors is critical for risk stratification for women and birthing persons. Further research is needed to understand the complex interplay between genetics, environmental, behavioral, and maternal vascular health, and the association between APOs and CVD risk.

Parity History and Later Life Sex Hormone Levels in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)

BACKGROUND

Multiparity is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). A more androgenic sex hormone profile, with a higher testosterone (T)/estradiol (E2) ratio, is associated with worse CVD outcomes in women and might be one mechanism linking multiparity to increased CVD risk. We investigated the relationship between parity and sex hormones at mid-to-older age.

METHODS

We performed a cross-sectional analysis of 2979 women with data on parity and endogenous sex hormone levels from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), a community-based cohort. Parity and gravidity (our exposures) were categorized as 0 (reference), 1-2, 3-4, or ≥ 5. Our outcome measures were T, E2, sex hormone binding globulin, dehydroepiandrosterone, and T/E2 ratio. Progressively adjusted linear regression was used to evaluate the association of parity/gravidity with sex hormones.

RESULTS

In multivariable adjusted models, there were no significant associations of parity with E2, dehydroepiandrosterone, and sex hormone binding globulin. Compared with nulliparity, after adjustment for CVD risk factors, women with 1-2 and 3-4 live births had higher T, but this was not significant for grand multiparity (≥ 5 live births). However, grand multigravidity (≥ 5 pregnancies) was associated with 10% (95% confidence interval [CI], 1%-20%) higher T and 14% (95% CI, 1%-29%) higher T/E2, compared with null gravidity. Grand multiparity was associated with an 18% (95% CI, 4%-34%) higher T/E2 ratio compared with nulliparity, after adjustment for CVD risk factors.

CONCLUSIONS

In this multiethnic cohort, women with grand multigravidity and grand multiparity had higher T/E2 levels, reflecting a more androgenic sex hormone profile. Longitudinal studies on sex hormones' influence on the relationship between multiparity and CVD are warranted.

Sons and parental cognition in mid-life and older adulthood

Prior research suggests a relationship between number of sons and maternal long-term health outcomes, including dementia. We assessed the relationship between having sons and parental cognitive aging. Specifically, we investigated the relationship between having at least 1 son and parental baseline cognition level and rate of cognitive decline, accounting for life course sociodemographic characteristics in a cohort of 13 222 adults aged ≥50 years from the US Health and Retirement Study. We included only participants with at least one child. We further explored whether this relationship varies by parental sex and whether the magnitude of the relationship increases with each additional son. Cognition was assessed biennially for a maximum of nine times as a sum of scores from immediate and delayed 10-noun free recall tests, a serial 7s subtraction test, and a backwards counting test. Associations were evaluated using linear mixed-effects models, stepwise adjusting for sociodemographic and health-related factors. In our analytic sample of parents, a total of 82.3% of respondents had at least 1 son and 61.6% of respondents were female. Parents of at least 1 son had a faster rate of cognitive decline in comparison to parents without any son. Our results also suggest that cognitive decline was faster among parents of multiple sons, compared to parents with only daughters. Thus, the results support the theory that having sons might have a long-term negative effect on parental cognition.

Association between parity and markers of inflammation: The multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis

Introduction

Multiparity has been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Inflammation may be a mechanism linking parity to CVD. We investigated the association between parity and later-life markers of inflammation.

Methods

We studied 3,454 female MESA participants aged 45–84, free of CVD, who had data on parity and inflammatory markers. Parity was categorized as 0 (reference), 1–2, 3–4, or ≥5. Linear regression was used to evaluate the association between parity and natural log-transformed levels of fibrinogen, D-dimer, GlycA, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), and interleukin-6 (IL-6).

Results

Mean age was 62 ± 10 years. The proportion of women with nulliparity, 1–2, 3–4, and ≥5 live births were 18, 39, 29, and 14%, respectively. There was no association between parity and fibrinogen. Women with grand multiparity (≥5 live births) had 28, 10, and 18% higher levels of hsCRP, IL-6 and D-dimer, respectively, compared to nulliparous women, after adjustment for demographic factors. After additional adjustment for CVD risk factors, women with 1–2 and 3–4 live births had higher hsCRP and women with 1–2 live births had higher GlycA.

Conclusion

In this diverse cohort of middle-to-older aged women, we found that higher parity was associated with some inflammatory markers; however, these associations were largely attenuated after adjustment for CVD risk factors. There was no clear dose-response relationship between parity and these inflammatory markers. Future studies are needed to evaluate how inflammation may influence the link between parity and CVD and whether healthy lifestyle/pharmacotherapies targeting inflammation can reduce CVD risk among multiparous women.

Clinical trial registration

The MESA cohort design is registered at clinicaltrials.gov as follows: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00005487.

Fertility Histories and Heart Disease in Later Life in China

Purpose

Based on life course theories, health among older people is driven by a continuous and cumulative process that develops over the life course. To better understand the aging process, it is important to assess associations between parity and heart disease in older people of China.

Method

The associations between heart disease prevalence and number of births, number of boys or girls ever born were evaluated among 5,990 samples (mean age 64.1 years) using the Probit regression model based on the data from China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) conducted in 2013 and 2018. The model was adjusted only for rural or urban residents, and multivariate regression models were run separately by gender.

Results

Our results showed that more than three children or more than two boys ever born were associated with a higher risk of heart disease. However, the number of girls ever born had no significant effect on heart disease in the elderly. We further analyzed the group difference between urban and rural residents using the regression model. More than three children or more than two boys ever born were associated with a high risk of heart disease in rural areas. Compared to urban residents, rural residents were more likely to be suffering from heart disease due to high parity. When considering the digender difference the paper found that more than three children ever born were associated with a high risk of heart disease in the female group. Late age at the time of giving birth for the first time was associated with a poorer risk level of heart disease in the rural residents, because the phenomenon of early childbearing was serious in the rural residents. But after considering the impact on the physical health of using chronic diseases, the first birth and the last birth both increased the risk of heart disease.

Conclusions

Some policy implications were being put forward. Firstly, parents who were ready to give birth should be aware of the possible health loss of high parity. Postpartum nutrition supplements and chronic disease prevention were suggested to prevent heart disease in later life. Secondly, the elderly in rural areas should pay more attention to heart diseases. Participating in more daily exercise and physical examinations was a good choice to reduce the risk of heart disease. Thirdly, women who give birth prematurely have a higher risk of CVD. Based on our results, age at entry to parenthood was closely related to the risk of heart disease in later life.

Parity and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Women over 45 Years in the United States: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2018

Objective: Current research results on the association between parity and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk are inconclusive. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between parity and risk of CVD in women over 45 years of age. Materials and Methods: Data were from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for 2007-2018. A total of 8,882 women ≥45 years of age were included. The exposure of parity referred to the number of live births, and the outcome variable was the occurrence of CVD events, including stroke, heart attack, coronary heart disease (CHD), heart failure, and angina. We performed logistic regression to calculate the unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (ORs; 95% confidence intervals [CIs]) controlling for confounding factors. Results: Among 8,882 women, the mean age was 62.4 ± 10.8 years, with a range of 45 to 80 years. The weighted prevalence of CVD, stroke, heart attack, CHD, heart failure, and angina in parous women were significantly higher than those of nulliparous women (p < 0.05). After adjusting for demographic factors, CVD risk factors, reproductive factors, the ORs of CVD with parity 1-2, 3-4, and 5+ were 1.85 (95% CI: 1.29-2.64), 1.70 (95% CI: 1.15-2.50), and 1.92 (95% CI: 1.28-2.88), respectively. The odds of stroke and heart attack were also significantly positively related to increasing parity compared with nulliparity. However, compared with nulliparity, parity of 3 was associated with a slightly lower risk of CVD. Conclusions: Our findings indicated that parity was significantly positively associated with CVD, giving birth to three children associated with a slightly lower risk compared with nulliparity. Further cohort studies are warranted to confirm the findings.

The Association Between Multiparity and Adipokine Levels: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Background: Multiparity is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the mechanisms of this relationship are unknown. Adipokines may predispose multiparous women to certain cardiometabolic complications that can increase their risk of future CVD. Materials and Methods: We studied 973 female participants of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis free of CVD, who had complete data on parity and adipokines measured at Examination 2 or 3 (randomly assigned). Parity was categorized as nulliparity, 1-2, 3-4, and ≥5 live births. Multivariable linear regression was used to evaluate the association of parity with leptin, resistin, and adiponectin levels. Results: The women had mean age of 65 ± 9 years. After adjustment for age, race/ethnicity, study site, education, menopause status, smoking, physical activity, use of hormone therapy, and waist circumference, a history of grand multiparity (≥5 live births) was associated with 11% higher resistin levels (95% confidence interval [CI] 0-23) and 3-4 live births was associated with 23% higher leptin levels (95% CI 7-42), compared with nulliparity. After adjustment for computed tomography-measured visceral fat, the association of 3-4 live births with leptin remained significant. There were no significant associations of parity with adipokines after further adjustment for additional CVD risk factors. Multigravidity (but not parity) was inversely associated with adiponectin levels. Conclusions: In a multiethnic cohort of women, greater parity was associated with resistin and leptin; however, this association was attenuated after accounting for CVD risk factors. Dysregulation of adipokines could contribute to the excess CVD risk associated with multiparity. Further studies are needed to determine whether adipokines independently mediate the relationship between multiparity and CVD. Clinical trials registration: The MESA cohort is registered at NCT00005487.

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.

Natural menopausal age and cardiovascular disease risk factors in older Chinese women: Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study

OBJECTIVE

To examine the associations of natural menopausal age with cardiovascular disease risk factors and whether the associations varied by parity in older Chinese women.

METHODS

Information of demographic characteristics, lifestyles, and reproductive factors was collected by face-to-face interview. Framingham Risk Score was used as an indicator of cardiovascular disease risk, with a score ≥ 10% considered as high cardiovascular disease risk (vs low, dichotomous). Multivariable logistic and linear regressions were used to examine the associations of menopausal age with cardiovascular disease risk factors.

RESULTS

Of 18,339 women aged 50+ years, the average (standard deviation) age was 61.8 (6.9) years. Compared with women with menopausal age of 45 to 54 years, after adjustment for multiple potential confounders, women with menopausal age <45 years or ≥55 years had higher Framingham Risk Score (0.93%, 95% confidence interval: 0.40-1.46, and 0.69%, 95% confidence interval: 0.18-1.20, respectively). Women with menopausal age <45 or ≥55 years had higher odds of high cardiovascular disease risk (vs low) (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]:1.26 (1.10-1.44) and 1.17 (1.02-1.33), respectively). The associations of menopausal age with the Framingham Risk Score varied by parity (P for interaction ≤0.001). The Framingham Risk Score was higher in those with one to three parity (<45 y: 1.01 [0.43-1.59]; ≥55 y: 1.14 [0.60-1.68]) and lower for parity ≥4 (<45 y: -0.33 [-1.84 to 1.18]; ≥55 y: -2.02 [-3.82 to -0.22]). In nulliparous women, the Framingham Risk Score was highest in menopausal age <45 years (3.97 [1.67-6.26]), but the differences were nonsignificant in menopausal age ≥55 years (0.66 [-1.38 to 2.71]).

CONCLUSIONS

Both early and late natural menopausal ages were associated with a higher cardiovascular disease risk, and the associations were stronger in those with lower parity.

Further understanding of ideal cardiovascular health score metrics and cardiovascular disease

INTRODUCTION

The American Heart Association (AHA) introduced the construct of 'cardiovascular health (CVH)', to focus on primordial prevention to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The CVH score includes seven health and behavioral metrics (smoking, physical activity, body mass index, diet, total cholesterol, blood pressure, blood glucose), which are characterized as being ideal, intermediate, or poor.

AREAS COVERED

In this review, we describe the utility of the CVH score for monitoring and promoting wellness, overall and by key sociodemographic groups, and for tracking of temporal trends.

EXPERT OPINION

Notably, the seven factors are all modifiable, which differs from 10-year CVD risk scores that include non-modifiable components such as age, sex, and race. Numerous epidemiological studies have shown that achievement of a greater number of ideal CVH metrics is associated with lower incidences of CVD, cardiovascular mortality, and all-cause mortality. Longer duration of favorable CVH is associated with greater longevity and compressed morbidity. Nevertheless, the prevalence of favorable CVH is low, with <20% of U.S. adults meeting ≥5 metrics at ideal levels and significant racial/ethnic disparities persist. Many challenges must be overcome to improve CVH at individual and societal levels if the AHA Impact Goals are to be fully realized.

Greater Acculturation is Associated With Poorer Cardiovascular Health in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Background Greater acculturation is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. However, little is known about the association between acculturation and ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) as measured by the American Heart Association's 7 CVH metrics. We investigated the association between acculturation and ideal CVH among a multi-ethnic cohort of US adults free of clinical cardiovascular disease at baseline. Methods and Results This was a cross-sectional analysis of 6506 men and women aged 45 to 84 years of 4 races/ethnicities. We examined measures of acculturation(birthplace, language spoken at home, and years lived in the United States [foreign-born participants]) by CVH score. Scores of 0 to 8 indicate inadequate, 9 to 10 average and 11 to 14 optimal CVH. We used multivariable regression to examine associations between acculturation and CVH, adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, income and health insurance. The mean (SD) age was 62 (10) years, 53% were women, 39% non-Hispanic White-, 26% non-Hispanic Black-, 12% Chinese- and 22% Hispanic-Americans. US-born participants had lower odds of optimal CVH (odds ratio [OR]: 0.63 [0.50-0.79], P<0.001) compared with foreign-born participants. Participants who spoke Chinese and other foreign languages at home had greater odds of optimal CVH compared with those who spoke English (1.91 [1.08-3.36], P=0.03; and 1.65 [1.04-2.63], P=0.03, respectively). Foreign-born participants who lived the longest in the United States had lower odds of optimal CVH (0.62 [0.43-0.91], P=0.02). Conclusions Greater US acculturation was associated with poorer CVH. This finding suggests that the promotion of ideal CVH should be encouraged among immigrant populations since more years lived in the United States was associated with poorer CVH.

Hiatal hernia prevalence and natural history on non-contrast CT in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)

Objective

To determine the prevalence, risk factors and natural history of hiatal hernia (HH) on CT in the general population.

Materials and methods

The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) acquired full-lung CT on 3200 subjects, aged 53–94 years. Three blinded observers independently determined presence/absence and type (I–IV) of HH. Associations between HH and participant characteristics were assessed via unadjusted and multivariable-adjusted relative risk regression. HH natural history was assessed compared with prior MESA CT.

Results

Excellent interobserver agreement was found for presence (κ=0.86) and type of HH (κ=0.97). Among 316 HH identified (prevalence=9.9%), 223 (71%) were type I and 93 (29%) were type III. HH prevalence increased with age, from 2.4% in 6th decade to 16.6% in 9th decade (unadjusted prevalence ratio (PR)=1.1 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.1)). HH prevalence was greater in women (12.7%) than men (7.0%) (unadjusted PR=1.8 (95% CI 1.5 to 2.3)) and associated with proton pump inhibitor use (p<0.001). In 75 participants with HH with 10-year follow-up, median HH area increased from 9.9 cm² to 17.9 cm² (p=0.02) with a higher mean body mass index (BMI) in subjects with increasing HH size compared with HH decreasing in size: mean BMI=30.2±6.2 vs 26.8±7.2 (p=0.02).

Conclusion

HH on non-contrast CT is prevalent in the general population, increasing with age, female gender and BMI. Its association with proton pump inhibitor use confirms a role in gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and HH progression is associated with increased BMI.

Trial registration number

NCT00005487.

Number of parity/live birth(s) and cardiovascular disease among Iranian women and men: results of over 15 years of follow-up

Background

Most previous studies conducted in non-Middle Eastern populations have suggested that an increase in the number of parity/live birth(s) leads to cardiovascular disease (CVD) development, although their findings were inconclusive on this issue for both sexes. Biologic and socioeconomic pathways were suggested to explain this association. We studied this issue among urban Iranian men and women.

Methods

In this population-based cohort study, which included 3929 women and 2571 men aged ≥30 years, data for the number of parity/live birth(s) were obtained by a standard questionnaire. Participants were then annually followed for CVD events. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the number of parity/live birth(s) and other traditional CVD risk factors.

Results

During more than 15 years of follow-up, 456 and 524 CVD events have occurred among women and men, respectively. Among women, a J-shaped association was found between the number of live births and incident CVD with the lowest risk for women with two live births. Among women in multivariable analyses, each unit increase in parity had a HR of 1.05 (CI: 1.01–1.10), and having ≥4 parity was associated with a HR of 1.86 (0.97–3.56, p-value = 0.061). Among men, in comparison with participants who had 1 child, multivariable HRs of having 2, 3, and ≥ 4 children were 1.97 (1.24–3.12), 2.08 (1.31–3.31), and 2.08 (1.30–3.34), respectively.

Conclusion

To the best of our knowledge, the current study is the first report on this issue in the Middle East and North Africa region, a region with a high burden of CVD. It can now be suggested that the number of parity/live birth(s) is linked to CVD among the Iranian population, with this issue being more prominent among men. Further research is needed to support our results and clarify the pathways between the number of parity/live birth(s) and CVD development among Iranian populations by considering potential risk factors, especially psycho-socio-economic risk factors.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12884-020-03499-2.

Racial differences in urinary incontinence prevalence and associated bother: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

BACKGROUND

Urinary incontinence is influenced by multiple factors, and the prevalence of urinary incontinence subtypes may differ by race and ethnicity.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of urinary incontinence subtypes and associated bother among women by race and ethnicity.

STUDY DESIGN

This cross-sectional analysis used data from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, an observational cohort study of 4 racial and ethnic groups recruited from 6 communities from the United States. At the sixth follow-up examination, urinary symptoms were ascertained with the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire. The prevalence rate ratios of stress urinary incontinence, urgency urinary incontinence, and mixed urinary incontinence by race and ethnicity were calculated using generalized linear models for the binomial family while adjusting for covariates. The degree of bother was based on a scale of 0 (none) to 10 (greatest bother), and presence of any bother was defined as a score of ≥3.

RESULTS

Among the 1749 female participants in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis who completed the sixth follow-up examination, 1628 (93%) completed the questionnaire. Women who did not complete the questionnaire were older than those who completed the questionnaire (average age, 82.2 [standard deviation, 9.5] vs 73.7 [standard deviation, 8.4] years; P<.01) and more likely to use diuretics (29.8% vs 18.9%; P<.01). Among those who completed the questionnaire (n=1628), 39.4% were white, 12.5% were Chinese, 27.2% were black, and 20.9% were Hispanic. After adjusting for covariates, stress urinary incontinence (prevalence rate ratio, 0.47; 95% confidence interval, 0.25-0.86) and mixed urinary incontinence (prevalence rate ratio, 0.58; 95% confidence interval, 0.38-0.89) regardless of bother scores were significantly less prevalent among black vs white women, although no significant racial and ethnic differences in stress or mixed urinary incontinence prevalence were noted for Chinese or Hispanic women vs white women. No racial and ethnic differences in the prevalence of urgency urinary incontinence were noted after the adjustment for covariates. Most women with urinary incontinence reported bother scores of ≥3 regardless of race and ethnicity and urinary incontinence subtype, and bother scores did not differ significantly by race and ethnicity.

CONCLUSION

Frequency of urinary incontinence subtypes may differ by race and ethnicity, but older women who report urinary incontinence are likely to have associated bother regardless of race and ethnicity.

Nondietary Cardiovascular Health Metrics With Patient Experience and Loss of Productivity Among US Adults Without Cardiovascular Disease: The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey 2006 to 2015

Background

The American Heart Association 2020 Impact Goals aimed to promote population health through emphasis on cardiovascular health (CVH). We examined the association between nondietary CVH metrics and patient‐reported outcomes among a nationally representative sample of US adults without cardiovascular disease.

Methods and Results

We included adults aged ≥18 years who participated in the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey between 2006 and 2015. CVH metrics were scored 1 point for each of the following: not smoking, being physically active, normal body mass index, no hypertension, no diabetes mellitus, and no dyslipidemia, or 0 points if otherwise. Diet was not assessed in Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Patient‐reported outcomes were obtained by telephone survey and included questions pertaining to patient experience and health‐related quality of life. Regression models were used to compare patient‐reported outcomes based on CVH, adjusting for sociodemographic factors and comorbidities. There were 177 421 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey participants (mean age, 45 [17] years) representing ~187 million US adults without cardiovascular disease. About 12% (~21 million US adults) had poor CVH. Compared with individuals with optimal CVH, those with poor CVH had higher odds of reporting poor patient‐provider communication (odds ratio, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.05–1.24), poor healthcare satisfaction (odds ratio, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.08–1.22), poor perception of health (odds ratio, 5.89; 95% CI, 5.35–6.49), at least 2 disability days off work (odds ratio, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.30–1.48), and lower health‐related quality of life scores.

Conclusions

Among US adults without cardiovascular disease, meeting a lower number of ideal CVH metrics is associated with poor patient‐reported healthcare experience, poor perception of health, and lower health‐related quality of life. Preventive measures aimed at optimizing ideal CVH metrics may improve patient‐reported outcomes among this population.

Social network factors and cardiovascular health among baltimore public housing residents

Social networks - or the web of relationships between individuals - may influence cardiovascular disease risk, particularly in low-income urban communities that suffer from a high prevalence of cardiovascular disease. Our objective was to describe the social networks of public housing residents - a low-income urban population - in Baltimore, MD and the association between these networks and blood pressure. We used cross-sectional survey data of randomly selected heads of household in two public housing complexes in Baltimore, MD (8/2014-8/2015). Respondents answered questions about 10 social network members, including attributes of their relationship and the frequency of interaction between members. We calculated measures of network composition (e.g., proportion of network members who were family members) and network structure (e.g., density), which we then dichotomized as "high" (upper quartile) and "low" (less than upper quartile). We used linear regression to test the association between network measures and mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The sample included 259 respondents (response rate: 46.6%). Mean age was 44.4 years, 85.7% were women, 95.4% Black, and 56.0% had a history of hypertension. A high proportion of older children (age 8-17 years) in the network (>30%) was associated with a 4.0% (95%CI [0.07, 8.07], p = 0.047) higher mean systolic blood pressure (~4.9 mmHg greater). Other network attributes had no association with blood pressure. Social network attributes, such as having a high proportion of older children in one's network, may have particular relevance to blood pressure among low-income public housing residents, reinforcing the potential importance of social relationships to cardiovascular health.

Neural control of blood pressure during pregnancy in humans

PURPOSE

Previous microneurographic studies found that muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) increased in normotensive pregnant women and was even greater in women with gestational hypertension and preeclampsia during the third trimester. It is possible that sympathetic activation during the latter months of normal pregnancy helps return arterial pressure to non-pregnant levels. However, when the increase in sympathetic activity is excessive, hypertension ensues. The key question that must be addressed is whether sympathetic activation develops early during pregnancy and remains high throughout gestation, or whether this sympathetic overactivity only occurs at term, providing the substrate for preeclampsia and other pregnancy-associated cardiovascular complications.

METHODS

This was a literature review of autonomic neural control during pregnancy.

RESULTS

Recent work from our laboratory and other laboratories showed that in healthy women resting MSNA increased in early pregnancy, increased further in late pregnancy, and returned to the pre-pregnancy levels shortly after delivery. We found that women who exhibited excessive sympathetic activation during the first trimester, before any clinical signs and symptoms appeared, developed gestational hypertension at term. We also found that the level of corin, an atrial natriuretic peptide-converting enzyme, was increased in the maternal circulation, especially during late pregnancy, as a homeostatic response to elevated sympathetic activity.

CONCLUSION

These findings provide important insight into the neural mechanisms underlying hypertensive disorders during pregnancy. With this knowledge, early prevention or treatment targeted to the appropriate pathophysiology may be initiated, which may reduce maternal and fetal death or morbidity, as well as cardiovascular risks in women later in life.

Identification of female-specific risk enhancers throughout the lifespan of women to improve cardiovascular disease prevention

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death in women in the United States and globally, with heart disease actually on the rise among middle-aged women in the United States. This disease burden can be reduced by prioritizing a preventive approach to cardiovascular health. The 2019 American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA) Guideline on the Primary Prevention of CVD contains important updates for delivery of primary prevention and also highlights early menopause and pre-eclampsia as two female-specific risk factors that enhance CVD risk. Additionally other female-specific risk factors including early menarche, polycystic ovarian syndrome, multi-parity, other adverse pregnancy outcomes, and hormone therapy also influence women's CVD risk throughout their lifespan. It is vital that both women and healthcare clinicians are made aware of this information as it has lifesaving potential. This review aims to (1) Introduce the key points of the 2019 ACC/AHA Guideline (2) Highlight the evidence for the female-specific risk factors for refining CVD risk assessment and (3) Discuss the impact of the female-specific risk enhancing factors on primary prevention interventions such as statin therapy. This approach will be able to more personalize risk assessment in women, with an emphasis on the importance of shared decision making in building authentic partnerships between clinicians and women patients throughout their lifespan.