Obesidad materna como factor de riesgo de obesidad infantil / Maternal obesity as a risk factor for childhood obesity

Introducción: diversos factores ambientales se han relacionado con el incremento en la frecuencia de obesidad infantil en los últimos años. Objetivo: determinar los factores maternos, socioeconómicos y de estilo de vida asociados al sobrepeso/obesidad en niños de 5 a 10 años. Metodología: se realizó un estudio transversal analítico en 153 niños de ambos sexos a los que se les midió peso, talla, índice de masa corporal, presión arterial, glucosa capilar y la presencia de acantosis nigricans. Se compararon los factores entre niños eutróficos y niños con sobrepeso/obesidad a través de Chi cuadrada o t de Student y se realizó una regresión logística para determinar los factores asociados al sobrepeso/obesidad del niño. Resultados: el 30.7% de los niños presentó sobrepeso/obesidad, en ellos se encontró mayor frecuencia de acantosis nigricans y mayores cifras de presión arterial sistólica. El predictor de obesidad infantil fue la obesidad materna, el riesgo de obesidad entre niños de madre con obesidad fue OR: 1.261 (IC95%: 1.047-1.518). Conclusiones: la obesidad materna incrementa el riesgo de obesidad infantil.

Introduction: Several environmental factors have been related to the increase in the frequency of childhood obesity in recent years. Objective: To determine maternal, socioeconomic and lifestyle factors associated with overweight/obesity in children 5 to 10 years oíd. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was performed with 153 children of both sexes, measuring weight, height, body mass índex, blood pressure, casual capillary glucose and the presence of acantosis nigricans. Factors were compared between eutrophic children and those with overweight/obesity through Chi-square test or Student's t test, and logistic regression was performed to determine the factors associated with the child's overweight/obesity. Results: 30.7% of the children presented overweight/obesity. In them acantosis nigrica higher systolic blood pressure were found more frequently. The predictor of childhood was maternal obesity; the risk of obesity among children with mothers with obesity it \a 1.261 (95%CI: 1.047-1.518). Condusions: Maternal obesity increases the risk of childhood obesity.

Coronavirus disease 2019 and pregnancy. / Enfermedad por coronavirus 2019 y embarazo.

Historically, viral respiratory infections in pregnant women have shown an increase in the risk of morbidity and mortality. With regards to COVID-19, information is limited and a greater risk of severe morbidity or mortality has not been shown, when compared to general population; however, pregnant women with comorbidities such as obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension have shown a greater severity of the disease, consistent with the general population with these comorbidities. The risk of vertical transmission appears to be low: it has not been demonstrated in any case during the current outbreak of COVID-19 in China, nor in previous epidemics of similar coronaviruses (SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV). Existing studies have not demonstrated the presence of the virus in genital fluid, amniotic fluid or maternal milk. Described cases of infection in newborns probably come from horizontal transmission, which suggests breastfeeding with respiratory hygiene measures. Given that COVID-19 is a new disease that has extended around the world and that current knowledge is still insufficient, it is mandatory the continued accumulation of data to discover in depth the action mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 virus, responsible for the disease, and constant update of means of prevention and handling of the disease.

Históricamente, las infecciones respiratorias virales en mujeres embarazadas han mostrado un incremento en el riesgo de morbilidad y mortalidad. En relación con el COVID-19 la información es limitada y no ha mostrado un mayor riesgo de morbilidad severa o mortalidad en comparación con la población en general; sin embargo, las mujeres embarazadas con comorbilidades como obesidad, diabetes mellitus tipo 2 e hipertensión arterial han presentado una mayor severidad de la enfermedad de manera más consistente a lo que ocurre en la población general con esas comorbilidades. El riesgo de transmisión vertical parece bajo: no se ha podido demostrar en ningún caso durante el brote actual de COVID-19 en China, ni tampoco en epidemias previas por otros coronavirus similares (SARS-CoV y MERS-CoV). Los estudios existentes no han evidenciado presencia del virus en fluidos genitales, líquido amniótico, ni tampoco en la leche materna. Los casos descritos de infección en recién nacidos provienen probablemente de transmisión horizontal, por lo que se sugiere la lactancia materna con medidas de higiene respiratoria. Debido a que la enfermedad por coronavirus se ha extendido a nivel mundial y el conocimiento actual es aún insuficiente, es imperativo el cúmulo de evidencia y profundizar en los mecanismos de acción del virus SARS-CoV-2, responsable de la enfermedad, y también que se actualicen constantemente las medidas de prevención y manejo de la enfermedad.

An increase in epicardial fat in women is associated with thrombotic risk. / El incremento de la grasa epicárdica en mujeres se asocia a riesgo trombótico.

INTRODUCTION: A decrease in fibrinolytic activity and an increase in the thickness of the epicardial adipose tissue have been observed in patients with coronary artery disease. The aim of this study was to determine the association between epicardial adipose tissue and fibrinolytic activity by measuring the concentration of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1). METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 56 apparently healthy women aged 45 to 60 years. Anthropometric measurements and biochemical determinations were performed on all participants. The fibrinolytic activity was determined by measuring PAI-1 by ELISA. Epicardial thickness was assessed by transthoracic echocardiography. RESULTS: The concentration of PAI-1 was directly associated with the thickness of the epicardial adipose tissue (r=0.475, P=.001), body mass index (BMI), visceral adipose tissue, insulin resistance, glucose, and HDL-cholesterol. The multivariate regression analysis indicated that epicardial fat independently predicts the concentrations of PAI-1. CONCLUSIONS: Women with thicker epicardial adipose tissue have reduced fibrinolytic activity, and consequently greater thrombotic risk.

Menopausal women have hypofibrinolysis even in subclinical stage of atherosclerosis.

BACKGROUND: PAI-1 is the main inhibitor of fibrinolysis. Increase in PAI-1 levels has been associated with the risk of coronary disease; however, there are few studies on the relationship between subclinical atherosclerosis and PAI-1 levels. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between PAI-1 level and carotid intima-media thickness in premenopausal and postmenopausal women without apparent cardiovascular disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 142 women aged 45 to 60 years with no history of cardiovascular disease. Anthropometric and laboratory measurements were performed, including PAI-1 levels. All participants underwent a B-Mode ultrasound to measure intima-media thickness. Subclinical atherosclerosis was considered when intima-media thickness was ≥ 0.7 mm and/or an atheromatous plaque was observed. RESULTS: Postmenopausal women had greater intima-media thickness than premenopausal women (0.688 ± 0.129 vs. 0.621 ± 0.113 mm; p < 0.05). Compared to women with normal intima-media thickness, women with subclinical atherosclerosis had higher PAI-1 levels (23.2 ± 13.7 vs. 30.4 ± 20.7 ng/ml; p < 0.05). In all participants, intima-media thickness correlated with PAI-1 (r = 0.302; p = 0.01) and with age (r = 0.358; p = 0001). CONCLUSIONS: An increase in intima-media thickness was observed in postmenopausal women compared with premenopausal women. Asymptomatic women with increased intima-media thickness had higher PAI-1 levels. These findings suggest that fibrinolytic activity is low in the subclinical stage of atherosclerosis.