28 research outputs found
Patient and Public Involvement in Sexual and Reproductive Health: Time to Properly Integrate Citizen’s Input into Science
Evidence-based sexual and reproductive health is a global endeavor without borders.
Inter-sectorial collaboration is essential for identifying and addressing gaps in evidence.
Health research funders and regulators are promoting patient and public involvement in research,
but there is a lack of quality tools for involving patients. Partnerships with patients are necessary
to produce and promote robust, relevant and timely research. Without the active participation of
women as stakeholders, not just as research subjects, the societal benefits of research cannot be
realized. Creating and developing platforms and opportunities for public involvement in sexual and
reproductive health research should be a key international objective. Cooperation between healthcare
professionals, academic institutions and the community is essential to promote quality research and
significant developments in women’s health. This cooperation will be improved when involvement
of citizens in the research process becomes standard.Spanish Governmen
Vitamin D depletion aggravates hypertension and target-organ damage
BACKGROUND: We tested the controversial hypothesis that vitamin D depletion aggravates hypertension and target-organ damage by influencing renin. METHODS AND RESULTS: Four-week-old double-transgenic rats (dTGR) with excess angiotensin (Ang) II production due to overexpression of the human renin (hREN) and angiotensinogen (hAGT) genes received vitamin D-depleted (n=18) or standard chow (n=15) for 3 weeks. The depleted group had very low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels (mean+/-SEM; 3.8+/-0.29 versus 40.6+/-1.19 nmol/L) and had higher mean systolic BP at week 5 (158+/-3.5 versus 134.6+/-3.7 mm Hg, P<0.001), week 6 (176.6+/-3.3 versus 162.3+/-3.8 mm Hg, P<0.01), and week 7 (171.6+/-5.1 versus 155.9+/-4.3 mm Hg, P<0.05). Vitamin D depletion led to increased relative heart weights and increased serum creatinine concentrations. Furthermore, the mRNAs of natriuretic peptides, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, hREN, and rRen were increased by vitamin D depletion. Regulatory T cells in the spleen and in the circulation were not affected. Ang metabolites, including Ang II and the counter-regulatory breakdown product Ang 1 to 7, were significantly up-regulated in the vitamin D-depleted groups, while ACE-1 and ACE-2 activities were not affected. CONCLUSIONS: Short-term severe vitamin D depletion aggravated hypertension and target-organ damage in dTGR. Our data suggest that even short-term severe vitamin D deficiency may directly promote hypertension and impacts on renin-angiotensin system components that could contribute to target-organ damage. The findings add to the evidence that vitamin D deficiency could also affect human hypertension
Prediction of preeclampsia with angiogenic biomarkers:Results from the prospective Odense Child Cohort
<p><i>Objective</i>: We aimed to investigate how maternal serum soluble Fms-like kinase 1 (sFlt-1), placental growth factor (PlGF), and sFlt-1/PlGF ratio prospectively associate to preeclampsia (PE) and clinical subtypes. <i>Methods</i>: In an unselected cohort of 1909 pregnant women, sFlt-1 and PlGF were measured with KRYPTOR assays in gestational weeks (GW) 8–14 and 20–34. Associations to PE were assessed by receiver operating characteristics and logistic regression. <i>Results</i>: Concentrations of sFlt-1, PlGF, and sFlt-1/PlGF in GW20-34 were predictive of PE development, but not in GW8-14. PlGF outperformed sFlt-1/PlGF ratio with an area under curve (AUC) of 0.755 vs. 0.704, <i>p</i> = 0.002. The highest AUC values for PlGF and sFlt-1/PlGF ratio were seen for severe early-onset PE (0.901 and 0.883). Negative predictive values were high for all PE types, but positive predictive values were low. <i>Conclusion</i>: PlGF and sFlt-1/PlGF had good predictive value for PE at GW20-34 in a population-based unselected cohort, however with low positive predictive value.</p
An umbrella review of systematic reviews on interventions of physical activity before pregnancy, during pregnancy, and postpartum to control and/or reduce weight gain
Background: The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity worldwide
represents
a (chronic) complex public health problem. This is also seen among women
of childbearing age despite increased efforts to promote physical activity (PA) interventions.
Excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) is associated with negative health
outcomes for both mothers and offspring.
Objectives: To summarize current systematic reviews (SRs) on PA interventions during
pregnancy and postpartum to prevent excessive GWG and identify the most effective
approaches.
Search Strategy: A literature search was conducted on major electronic databases
(MEDLINE/Pubmed, Cochrane, Web of Science, Epistemonikos) from inception to
March 2023.
Selection Criteria: This study included SRs and meta-analyses
of studies involving
women aged 18 years or older from diverse ethnic backgrounds, who were either in
the preconception period, pregnant, or within 1 year postpartum and who had no contraindications
for exercise. Women with chronic diseases, such as pre-existing
diabetes
(type 1 or type 2) were excluded.
Data Collection and Analysis: Two reviewers extracted data from selected studies assessing
the impact of PA in preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum. Methodologic
quality was assessed with the AMSTAR-2
tool. A narrative summary of results addresses
relationships between PA and weight before, during, and after pregnancy,
informing future research priorities for preventing excessive weight gain. This study is
registered on PROSPERO (CRD420233946666).
Main Results: Out of 892 identified articles, 25 studies were included after removing
duplicates, unrelated titles, and screening titles and abstracts for eligibility. The results demonstrate that PA can help prevent excessive GWG and postpartum
weight retention. Structured and supervised moderate-intensity
exercise, at least
twice a week, and each session lasting a minimum of 35 min seems to provide the
greatest benefits.
Conclusions: Women who comply with the PA program and recommendations are
more likely to achieve adequate GWG and return to their pre-pregnancy
body mass
index after delivery. Further research is warranted to explore how preconception
PA influences pregnancy and postpartum outcomes given the absence of identified
preconception-focused
interventions.Universidad de Granada / CBUA