Long-term effects of preeclampsia on maternal cardiovascular health and postpartum utilization of primary care: an observational claims data study

Purpose: Preeclampsia occurs in up to 15% of pregnancies and constitutes a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. This observational cohort study aimed to examine the association between preeclamptic pregnancies and cardiovascular outcomes as well as primary and specialized care utilization after delivery. Methods: Using statutory claims data we identified women with singleton live births between 2010 and 2017. Main outcomes included the occurrence of either hypertension or cardiovascular disease after one or more preeclamptic pregnancies, number of contacts to a general practitioner or cardiologist after delivery and prescribed antihypertensive medication. Data were analyzed using Cox proportional hazard regression models adjusted for maternal age, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and obesity. Results: The study cohort consisted of 181,574 women with 240,698 births. Women who experienced preeclampsia once had an increased risk for cardiovascular (hazard ratio, HR = 1.29) or hypertensive (HR = 4.13) events. In women affected by recurrent preeclampsia, risks were even higher to develop cardiovascular disease (HR = 1.53) or hypertension (HR = 6.01). In the following years after delivery, general practitioners were seen frequently, whereas cardiologists were consulted rarely (0.3 and 2.4%). Conclusion: Women affected by preeclampsia experience an increased risk of developing chronic hypertension and cardiovascular disease, especially those with recurrent preeclampsia. Future medical guidelines should take this potential risk into account

Evaluating students’ engagement with an online learning environment during and after COVID-19 related school closures: A survival analysis approach

Background: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic schools all over the world were closed and thereby students had to be instructed from distance. Consequently, the use of online learning environments for online distance learning increased massively. However, the perseverance of using online learning environments during and after school closures remains to be investigated. Method: We examined German students’ (n ≈ 300,000 students; ≈ 18 million computed problem sets) engagement in an online learning environment for mathematics by means of survival analysis. Results: We observed that the total number of students who registered increased considerably during and after school closures compared to the previous three years. Importantly, however, the proportion of students engaged also decreased more rapidly over time. Conclusion: The application of survival analysis provided valuable insights into students’ engagement in online learning - or conversely students’ increased dropout rates - over time. Its application to educational settings allows to address a broader range of questions on students’ engagement in online learning environments in the future

An observational claims data analysis on the risk of maternal chronic kidney disease after preterm delivery and preeclampsia

Abstract Women with complications of pregnancy such as preeclampsia and preterm birth are at risk for adverse long-term outcomes, including an increased future risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). This observational cohort study aimed to examine the risk of CKD after preterm delivery and preeclampsia in a large obstetric cohort in Germany, taking into account preexisting comorbidities, potential confounders, and the severity of CKD. Statutory claims data of the AOK Baden-Wuerttemberg were used to identify women with singleton live births between 2010 and 2017. Women with preexisting conditions including CKD, ESKD, and kidney replacement therapy (KRT) were excluded. Preterm delivery (< 37 gestational weeks) was the main exposure of interest; preeclampsia was investigated as secondary exposure. The main outcome was a newly recorded diagnosis of CKD in the claims database. Data were analyzed using Cox proportional hazard regression models. The time-dependent occurrence of CKD was analyzed for four strata, i.e., births with (i) neither an exposure of preterm delivery nor an exposure of preeclampsia, (ii) no exposure of preterm delivery but exposure of at least one preeclampsia, (iii) an exposure of at least one preterm delivery but no exposure of preeclampsia, or (iv) joint exposure of preterm delivery and preeclampsia. Risk stratification also included different CKD stages. Adjustments were made for confounding factors, such as maternal age, diabetes, obesity, and dyslipidemia. The cohort consisted of 193,152 women with 257,481 singleton live births. Mean observation time was 5.44 years. In total, there were 16,948 preterm deliveries (6.58%) and 14,448 births with at least one prior diagnosis of preeclampsia (5.61%). With a mean age of 30.51 years, 1,821 women developed any form of CKD. Compared to women with no risk exposure, women with a history of at least one preterm delivery (HR = 1.789) and women with a history of at least one preeclampsia (HR = 1.784) had an increased risk for any subsequent CKD. The highest risk for CKD was found for women with a joint exposure of preterm delivery and preeclampsia (HR = 5.227). These effects were the same in magnitude only for the outcome of mild to moderate CKD, but strongly increased for the outcome of severe CKD (HR = 11.90). Preterm delivery and preeclampsia were identified as independent risk factors for all CKD stages. A joint exposure or preterm birth and preeclampsia was associated with an excessive maternal risk burden for CKD in the first decade after pregnancy. Since consequent follow-up policies have not been defined yet, these results will help guide long-term surveillance for early detection and prevention of kidney disease, especially for women affected by both conditions