Perceptions of diabetes distress during pregnancy in women with type 1 and type 2 diabetes: a qualitative interpretive description study.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes distress is commonly seen in adults with pre-existing diabetes and is associated with worsened glycemic management and self-management practices. While a majority of women report increased stress during pregnancy, it is unknown how women with type 1 or type 2 diabetes experience diabetes distress during this unique and transitional time. PURPOSE: This study aimed to understand the experiences and perceptions of diabetes distress in women with pre-existing diabetes during pregnancy. METHODS: A qualitative study using an interpretive description approach was conducted. In-depth, one to one interviewing was used to capture rich descriptions of the pregnancy experience. Nested, stratified, and theoretical sampling was used to recruit 18 participants with type 1 and type 2 diabetes from the quantitative strand of this mixed methods study. Constant comparative analysis was used to inductively analyze the data and develop themes. FINDINGS: Four themes, each with several subthemes, emerged under the main finding of "Diabetes Distress": 1) Worry for Baby's Health - "What's this going to do to the baby?"' 2) Feeling Overwhelmed with Diabetes Management-"It just seemed unattainable"; 3) Living with Diabetes - "There's no way out" and 4) Cycle of Diabetes Distress. CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this study identify the sources and experiences of diabetes distress during pregnancy in women with pre-existing diabetes. Diabetes distress often presents as cyclical and multifaceted during pregnancy, with elements of fear for the unborn baby, difficulties with diabetes management, and having negative lived experiences of diabetes. Further work is needed to develop appropriate screening tools for pregnancy and interventions to mitigate diabetes distress. Diabetes educators are well-positioned provide emotional support and person-centred self-management education to individuals with diabetes.

The Examination and Exploration of Diabetes Distress in Pre-existing Diabetes in Pregnancy: A Mixed-methods Study.

OBJECTIVES: Diabetes distress (DD) has been understudied in the pregnancy population. Pregnancy is known to be a complex, highly stressful time for women with diabetes because of medical risks and the high burden of diabetes management. Our aim in this study was to explain and understand DD in women with pre-existing diabetes in pregnancy. METHODS: An explanatory, sequential mixed-methods study was undertaken. The first strand consisted of a cross-sectional study of 76 women with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. A nested sampling approach was used to re-recruit 18 women back into the second strand for qualitative interviews using an interpretive description approach. RESULTS: DD was measured by the validated Problem Area in Diabetes (PAID) scale. A PAID score of ≥40 was positive for distress. DD prevalence was 22.4% in the cross-sectional cohort and the average PAID score was 27.75 (standard deviation 16.08). In the qualitative strand, women with a range of PAID scores (10.0 to 60.0) were sampled for interviews. The majority of these participants described themes of DD in their interviews. Of the 15 women who described DD thematically, only 6 had positive PAID scores. CONCLUSIONS: Integration of the mixed-methods data underscores important meta-inferences about DD in pregnancy, namely that DD was present to a greater degree than the PAID tool is sensitive to. DD was present qualitatively in most of the qualitative sample, despite interviewing women with a range of PAID scores. Future research on a pregnancy-specific DD scale is needed.

Nutrition Interventions for Lowering Cardiovascular Risk After Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy: A Systematic Review.

Background: Hypertension is one of the most common medical problems during pregnancy. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) increase the risk of premature cardiovascular disease (CVD) 2- to 4-fold within 10 years after delivery. Early health behaviour modifications may prevent or manage several cardiovascular risk factors. Importantly, compared with women without HDP, fewer women with HDP achieve national dietary guidelines to prevent CVD. This highlights an opportunity for programs tailored for women post-HDP to support their nutritional behaviours as a key component of postpartum CVD preventive care. This systematic review investigated the impacts of nutrition modifications on lowering measures of CVD risk after HDP. Methods: Four electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Library) were searched in October 2022 with a search strategy focused on nutrition programs/interventions and women post-HDP. Additional inclusion criteria were original research and reported outcome of CVD risk or cardiovascular risk factors. Results: Six studies were included: 4 experimental trials and 2 prospective cohort studies. Of the nutrition interventions, 4 were embedded within comprehensive health behaviour intervention programs. Outcome measures varied, but all studies reported blood pressure. A narrative synthesis found that the range of changes in blood pressure varied from no change to clinically meaningful change. Conclusions: This review found statistically nonsignificant yet clinically important improvements in measures of cardiovascular risk across a range of nutritional interventions in women after HDP. Further high-quality evidence is needed to inform the design and implementation of nutritional preventive cardiovascular care targeting this high CVD-risk population.

Contexte: L'hypertension est l'un des problèmes médicaux les plus fréquents durant la grossesse. Les troubles hypertensifs de la grossesse (THG) font augmenter le risque de maladies cardiovasculaires (MCV) prématurées de 2 à 4 fois dans les 10 années après l'accouchement. Des modifications précoces des comportements liés à la santé peuvent permettre de prévenir ou de prendre en charge plusieurs facteurs de risque cardiovasculaire. Notamment, par rapport aux femmes sans THG, moins de femmes atteintes de THG se conforment aux lignes directrices nationales en matière d'alimentation pour prévenir les MCV. D'où la possibilité qui s'offre aux programmes adaptés aux femmes post-THG d'encourager l'adoption de leurs comportements nutritionnels, une composante essentielle des soins de prévention des MCV dans la période du post-partum. La présente revue systématique visait à examiner les répercussions des modifications nutritionnelles sur la réduction des mesures du risque de MCV après les THG. Méthodes: En octobre 2022, nous avons effectué des recherches dans 4 bases de données électroniques (MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Library) au moyen d'une stratégie de recherche axée sur les interventions/programmes nutritionnels et les femmes post-THG. Les critères d'inclusion supplémentaires étaient la recherche initiale et les résultats signalés du risque de MCV ou des facteurs de risque cardiovasculaire. Résultats: Nous avons tenu compte de 6 études : 4 essais expérimentaux et 2 études de cohorte prospectives. Parmi les interventions nutritionnelles, 4 étaient intégrées aux programmes exhaustifs d'interventions sur les comportements liés à la santé. Les critères de jugement variaient, mais la pression artérielle était signalée dans toutes les études. Une synthèse narrative a permis de constater que l'étendue des changements dans la pression artérielle allait d'une absence de changement à des changements significatifs sur le plan clinique. Conclusions: Cette revue a permis de constater des améliorations non significatives sur le plan statistique, mais importantes sur le plan clinique des mesures du risque cardiovasculaire de différentes interventions nutritionnelles chez les femmes après les THG. D'autres données probantes de grande qualité sont nécessaires pour faciliter l'élaboration et la mise en œuvre de soins de prévention nutritionnelle des maladies cardiovasculaires visant cette population exposée à un risque élevé de MCV.

Understanding Patient Perspectives on Specialized, Longitudinal, Postpartum, Cardiovascular Risk-Reduction Clinics.

Background: Females who experience hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) have an increased lifelong risk of cardiovascular disease. Thus, Canadian clinical practice guidelines recommend cardiovascular risk reduction follow-up after a patient has HDP. This study examined the experiences of patients with HDP who attended a specialized, longitudinal general internal medicine postpartum cardiovascular risk reduction clinic called PreVASC. PreVASC focuses on comprehensive cardiovascular risk reduction through cardiovascular risk factor screening and management tailored specifically for female patients after they have HDP. Methods: This multimethod study examined the experiences of female patients with HDP via the following: (i) a quantitative survey (summarized with descriptive statistics); (ii) semistructured qualitative patient phone interviews (results grouped thematically); and (iii) triangulation of qualitative themes with quantitative survey results. Results: Overall, 37% of eligible clinic patients (42 of 115) participated; 79% of participants (n = 33) reported being "very satisfied" with the PreVASC clinic's specialized longitudinal model of care, and 95% (n = 40) reported making at least one preventive health behaviour change after receiving individualized counselling on cardiovascular risk reduction. Qualitative results found improvements in patient-reported cardiovascular health knowledge, health behaviours, and health-related anxiety. A preference for in-person vs phone clinic visits was reported by participants. Conclusions: An in-person, general internal medicine specialist-led, longitudinal model of cardiovascular disease preventive care focused specifically on cardiovascular risk reduction after HDP had positive impacts on patient experience, health knowledge, and preventive health behaviours. This novel knowledge on patient preferences for a longitudinal, specialized model of care advances cardiovascular risk reduction tailored specifically for high-risk people after HDP.

Contexte: Les femmes qui sont atteintes de troubles hypertensifs de la grossesse (THG) présentent un risque accru de maladie cardiovasculaire durant leur vie. Par conséquent, les lignes directrices canadiennes de pratique clinique recommandent un suivi pour la réduction du risque cardiovasculaire après la survenue d'un THG. Cette étude visait à examiner l'expérience des patientes qui ont été atteintes de THG et qui ont fréquenté l'une des cliniques de médecine interne spécialisées dans la réduction du risque cardiovasculaire post-partum et offrant une prise en charge longitudinale (PreVASC). Les cliniques PreVASC se concentrent sur la réduction des risques cardiovasculaires globaux par la détection des facteurs de risque cardiovasculaire et une prise en charge spécialement adaptée pour les femmes qui ont subi un THG. Méthodologie: Cette étude visait à examiner l'expérience des femmes atteintes d'un THG en faisant appel à diverses méthodes : i) sondage quantitatif (résumé par des statistiques descriptives); ii) entrevues téléphoniques semi-structurées de nature qualitative avec des patientes (résultats regroupés par thèmes); et iii) triangulation des thèmes qualitatifs et des résultats du sondage quantitatif. Résultats: Globalement, 37 % des patientes admissibles (42 sur 115) ont participé à l'étude; 79 % des participantes (n = 33) ont déclaré être « très satisfaites ¼ du modèle de soins longitudinal spécialisé des cliniques PreVASC, et 95 % (n = 40) ont déclaré avoir adopté au moins un comportement préventif pour leur santé après avoir reçu des conseils personnalisés sur la réduction du risque cardiovasculaire. Les résultats qualitatifs obtenus auprès des patientes font état d'une amélioration des connaissances sur la santé cardiovasculaire, les comportements sains et l'anxiété liée à la santé. Les participantes ont dit préférer les visites cliniques en personne aux consultations par téléphone. Conclusions: L'adoption d'un modèle longitudinal de médecine interne comprenant des rencontres avec des spécialistes pour prévenir les maladies cardiovasculaires, en particulier réduire le risque cardiovasculaire après un THG a eu des effets positifs chez les patientes en ce qui concerne l'expérience, les connaissances en matière de santé et les comportements à adopter pour prévenir les problèmes de santé. Ces nouvelles connaissances sur les préférences des patientes à l'égard de soins longitudinaux spécialisés représentent un pas en avant dans la mise en place d'une approche personnalisée de réduction du risque cardiovasculaire pour les personnes présentant un risque élevé après un THG.

The Canadian Women's Heart Health Alliance ATLAS on the Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Management of Cardiovascular Disease in Women - Chapter 9: Summary of Current Status, Challenges, Opportunities, and Recommendations.

This final chapter of the Canadian Women's Heart Health Alliance "ATLAS on the Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Management of Cardiovascular Disease in Women" presents ATLAS highlights from the perspective of current status, challenges, and opportunities in cardiovascular care for women. We conclude with 12 specific recommendations for actionable next steps to further the existing progress that has been made in addressing these knowledge gaps by tackling the remaining outstanding disparities in women's cardiovascular care, with the goal to improve outcomes for women in Canada.

Dans ce chapitre final de l'ATLAS sur l'épidémiologie, le diagnostic et la prise en charge de la maladie cardiovasculaire chez les femmes de l'Alliance canadienne de santé cardiaque pour les femmes, nous présentons les points saillants de l'ATLAS au sujet de l'état actuel des soins cardiovasculaires offerts aux femmes, ainsi que des défis et des occasions dans ce domaine. Nous concluons par 12 recommandations concrètes sur les prochaines étapes à entreprendre pour donner suite aux progrès déjà réalisés afin de combler les lacunes dans les connaissances, en s'attaquant aux disparités qui subsistent dans les soins cardiovasculaires prodigués aux femmes, dans le but d'améliorer les résultats de santé des femmes au Canada.

Patient Perspectives on a Pilot Virtual Follow-up Program After Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy: A Qualitative Study.

Background: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDPs) are a risk factor for future cardiovascular disease; therefore, follow-up and implementation of early interventions is recommended. We performed a qualitative study to assess the feasibility and user response to a mobile-health tool and virtual consultation aimed at educating people with an HDP on future cardiovascular risk, and at better understanding patients' priorities for postpartum care. Methods: Participants with a history of an HDP in the past 5 years had access to an online educational tool and participated in a virtual consultation to discuss their cardiovascular risks after experiencing an HDP. Participants were invited to a focus group to obtain feedback on their postpartum experience and the Her-HEART program. Results: A total of 20 female participants were enrolled in the study between January 2020 and February 2021. Of these, 16 participants took part in 1 of 5 focus groups. Participants reported a lack of awareness of future cardiovascular disease risks prior to participating in the program, and identified barriers to counselling, including traumatic birth experiences, inappropriate timing, and competing priorities. Participants reported that the virtual Her-HEART program was an effective avenue to provide counselling on long-term cardiovascular risks. They highlighted the importance of coordinated care pathways and mental health support in postpartum follow-up programs. Conclusion: We have shown the feasibility of providing an educational website and virtual consultation to facilitate counselling in people affected by HDPs. Our results shed light on patient-reported priorities related to the content and delivery of postpartum counselling after an HDP.

Contexte: Les troubles hypertensifs de la grossesse (THG) représentent un facteur de risque de maladies cardiovasculaires. Il est donc recommandé d'assurer un suivi et d'intervenir de façon précoce. Nous avons réalisé une étude qualitative pour évaluer la faisabilité et la réaction des utilisatrices à un outil de santé mobile et à une consultation virtuelle visant à informer les personnes atteintes d'un THG à propos de leur risque cardiovasculaire et à mieux comprendre leurs priorités en matière de soins post-partum. Méthodologie: Les participantes ayant présenté un THG au cours des cinq dernières années ont eu accès à un outil éducatif en ligne et ont participé à une consultation virtuelle pour discuter de leur risque cardiovasculaire. Elles ont été invitées à un groupe de discussion afin d'obtenir des commentaires sur leur expérience post-partum et sur le programme Her-HEART. Résultats: Au total, 20 participantes ont été sélectionnées entre janvier 2020 et février 2021. Parmi elles, 16 ont pris part à l'un des cinq groupes de discussion. Les participantes ont déclaré qu'elles connaissaient mal leur risque de maladies cardiovasculaires avant de participer au programme et ont fait état d'obstacles les faisant hésiter à consulter, notamment des expériences traumatisantes à l'accouchement, le manque de temps et des priorités conflictuelles. Les participants ont déclaré que le programme virtuel Her-HEART était un moyen efficace de fournir des conseils sur les risques cardiovasculaires à long terme. Elles ont souligné l'importance d'une trajectoire de soins coordonnée et d'un soutien psychologique dans les programmes de suivi post-partum. Conclusion: Nous avons démontré la pertinence d'un site Web éducatif et d'une consultation virtuelle pour faciliter l'accompagnement des patientes atteintes d'un THG. Les résultats mettent également en lumière les priorités des patientes ayant présenté un tel trouble en ce qui concerne les modalités d'un accompagnement post-partum.

Association Between the Route of Administration and Formulation of Estrogen Therapy and Hypertension Risk in Postmenopausal Women: A Prospective Population-Based Study.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is the leading global cause of cardiovascular disease and premature mortality in women. The effects of postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT) on blood pressure are uncertain but may be related to route of estrogen administration and formulation of estrogen. We sought to determine the association between route of administration and formulation of estrogen HT and hypertension risk in postmenopausal women. METHODS: Population-based cohort study with women aged ≥45 years who filled ≥2 consecutive prescriptions for estrogen-only HT, identified from linked provincial health administrative data from Alberta, Canada, between 2008 and 2019. The primary outcome, incident hypertension, was identified using standardized International Classification of Diseases, Ninth and Tenth Revision. Cox proportional hazard models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) for hypertension in women using oral HT compared with nonoral HT (transdermal, vaginal, or intramuscular). RESULTS: In total, 112 240 women used an estrogen-only form of HT. Oral estrogen was associated with a higher risk of hypertension compared with both transdermal (HR, 1.14 [95% CI, 1.08-1.20]) and vaginal (HR, 1.19 [95% CI, 1.13-1.25]) estrogens. Conjugated equine estrogen was associated with an increased risk of hypertension compared with estradiol (HR, 1.08 [95% CI, 1.04-1.14]) but not estrone (HR, 1.00 [95% CI, 0.93-1.10]). Duration of estrogen exposure and cumulative dose of estrogen was positively associated with risk of hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: Oral estrogen-only HT use was associated with an increased risk of hypertension in women. In women using estrogen-only HT, nonoral estradiol at the lowest dose and for the shortest time-period is associated with the lowest risk of hypertension.

Understanding the self-management experiences and support needs during pregnancy among women with pre-existing diabetes: a qualitative descriptive study.

BACKGROUND: With the increasing prevalence of pre-existing type 1 and type 2 diabetes in pregnancy and their associated perinatal risks, there is a need to focus on interventions to achieve optimal maternal glycemia to improve pregnancy outcomes. One strategy focuses on improving diabetes self-management education and support for expectant mothers with diabetes. This study's objective is to describe the experience of managing diabetes during pregnancy and identify the diabetes self-management education and support needs during pregnancy among women with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. METHODS: Using a qualitative descriptive study design, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 women with pre-existing type 1 or 2 diabetes in pregnancy (type 1 diabetes, n = 6; type 2 diabetes, n = 6). We employed conventional content analyses to derive codes and categories directly from the data. RESULTS: Four themes were identified that related to the experiences of managing pre-existing diabetes in pregnancy; four others were related to the self-management support needs in this population. Women with diabetes described their experiences of pregnancy as terrifying, isolating, mentally exhausting and accompanied by a loss of control. Self-management support needs reported included healthcare that is individualized, inclusive of mental health support and support from peers and the healthcare team. CONCLUSIONS: Women with diabetes in pregnancy experience feelings of fear, isolation and a loss of control, which may be improved through personalized management protocols that avoid "painting everybody with the same brush" as well as peer support. Further examination of these simple interventions may yield important impacts on women's experience and sense of connection.

Symptoms of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome in pregnancy: a cross-sectional, community-based survey.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and pregnancy. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: International. SAMPLE: A total of 8941 female patients with a diagnosis of POTS. METHODS: Data from the survey were analysed using descriptive measures and stratified for comparisons. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Symptom course of POTS during pregnancy. Secondary outcomes included pregnancy loss, POTS onset during pregnancy and the impacts of a comorbid diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome or an autoimmune disorder on symptoms during pregnancy. RESULTS: Overall, 40.8% (n = 3652) of participants reported one or more pregnancies. Most participants experienced worsening of symptoms in the first (62.6%) and third (58.9%) trimesters and 3 months after pregnancy (58.7%), and 81.1% experienced worsening symptoms at any point in their pregnancy. Most participants with worsening symptoms in the first trimester also experienced worsening symptoms in the second (61.6%) and third (68.1%) trimesters, but if they improved in the first trimester then this improvement persisted in the second and third trimesters. Of participants who reported that POTS was triggered by a specific event (41.3%), 8.1% reported pregnancy as the trigger for the onset. CONCLUSIONS: Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome symptoms in the first trimester of pregnancy may help predict symptom course throughout the duration of pregnancy. Some individuals may experience an initial onset of POTS during pregnancy. This novel information may guide clinicians in counselling patients with POTS who are planning pregnancy.

Maternal Health Outcomes After Pregnancy-Associated Stroke: A Population-Based Study With 19 Years of Follow-Up.

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy-associated stroke carries high short-term morbidity and mortality, but data on subsequent maternal outcomes are limited. We evaluated long-term maternal health outcomes after pregnancy-associated stroke. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, we used administrative data to identify pregnant adults aged ≤49 years with stroke between 2002-2020 in Ontario, Canada and 2 comparison groups: (1) non-pregnant female patients with stroke and (2) pregnant patients without stroke. Patients who survived the index admission were followed until 2021. After propensity score matching, we used Cox regression with a robust variance estimator to compare pregnant patients with stroke and the 2 comparison groups for the composite outcome of death and all-cause non-pregnancy readmission. Where proportional hazard assumption was not met, we reported time-varying hazard ratios (HR) with 95% CIs by modeling the log-hazard ratio as a function of time using restricted cubic splines. RESULTS: We identified 217 pregnant patients with stroke, 7604 non-pregnant patients with stroke, and 1 496 256 pregnant patients without stroke. Of the 202 pregnant patients with stroke who survived the index stroke admission, 41.6% (6.8 per 100 person-years) subsequently died or were readmitted during follow-up. Median follow-up times were 5 years (pregnancy-associated stroke), 3 years (non-pregnant stroke), and 8 years (pregnant without stroke). Pregnant patients with stroke had a lower hazard of death and all-cause readmission compared with non-pregnant patients with stroke at 1-year follow-up (HR, 0.64 [95% CI, 0.44-0.94]), but this association did not persist during longer-term follow-up. Conversely, pregnant patients with stroke had higher hazard of death and readmission compared with pregnant patients without stroke at 1-year follow-up (HR, 5.70 [95% CI, 3.04-10.66]), and this association persisted for a decade. CONCLUSIONS: Stroke during pregnancy is associated with long-term health consequences. It is essential to transition care postpartum to primary or specialty care to optimize vascular health.

The Implementation of Preeclampsia Screening and Prevention (IMPRESS) Study.

BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia affects between 2% and 5% of pregnancies and is one of the leading causes of perinatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite strong evidence that the combination of systematic preeclampsia screening based on the Fetal Medicine Foundation preeclampsia risk calculation algorithm with treatment of high-risk patients with low-dose aspirin reduces the incidence of preterm preeclampsia more than currently used risk-factor-based screening, real-world implementation studies have not yet been done in Canada. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the operational feasibility of implementing first-trimester screening and prevention of preterm preeclampsia (<37 weeks) alongside a publicly funded first-trimester combined screening program for aneuploidies. STUDY DESIGN: This was a prospective implementation study. Consecutive pregnant patients referred for first-trimester combined screening (11-13+6 weeks) were offered screening for preeclampsia based on the Fetal Medicine Foundation algorithm concomitantly with their aneuploidy screen. Consenting participants were screened using maternal risk factors, mean arterial pressure, uterine artery Doppler pulsatility index, pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A, and placental growth factor. Risk for preterm preeclampsia (<37 weeks) was calculated using the Fetal Medicine Foundation algorithm, and individuals with a risk score ≥1 per 100 were recommended to use aspirin (162 mg once daily at bedtime, <16-36 weeks). Implementation metrics assessed included: acceptability, operational impact, proportion of aspirin initiation, quality and safety measures, and screen performance. RESULTS: Between December 1, 2020 and April 23, 2021, 1124 patients consented to preeclampsia screening (98.3% uptake), and 92 (8.2%) screened positive. Appointments for patients receiving first-trimester combined screening aneuploidy and preeclampsia screening averaged 6 minutes longer than first-trimester combined screening alone, and adding uterine artery Doppler pulsatility index averaged 2 minutes. Of the 92 patients who screened as high-risk for preeclampsia, 72 (78.3%) were successfully contacted before 16 weeks' gestation. Of these, 62 (86.1%) initiated aspirin, and 10 (13.9%) did not. Performance audit identified a consistent negative bias with mean arterial pressure measurements (median multiple of the median <1 in 10%); other variables were satisfactory. There were 7 cases of preterm preeclampsia (0.69%): 5 and 2 in the high- and low-risk groups, respectively. Screening detected 5 of 7 (71.4 %) preterm preeclampsia cases, with improved performance after adjustment for aspirin treatment effect. CONCLUSION: This study confirms the operational feasibility of implementing an evidence-based preeclampsia screening and prevention program in a publicly funded Canadian setting. This will facilitate implementation into clinical service and the scaling up of this program at a regional and provincial level.

The Association Between Route of Post-menopausal Estrogen Administration and Blood Pressure and Arterial Stiffness in Community-Dwelling Women.

Background: Postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT) is associated with increased cardiovascular risk. Although the route of estrogen administration may play a role in mediating risk, previous studies have not controlled for concomitant progestin use. Objective: To investigate the association between the route of estrogen therapy (oral or non-oral) HT use, without concomitant progestin, and blood pressure and arterial stiffness in postmenopausal women. Methods: Systolic blood pressure [SBP], diastolic blood pressure [DBP]), arterial stiffness (aortic pulse wave velocity [aPWV] and augmentation index at 75 beats per minute [AIx]) were measured using a validated automated brachial cuff-based oscillometric approach (Mobil-O-Graph) in a community-dwelling sample of 328 women. Results: Fifty-five participants (16.8%) were ever users (current and past use) of estrogen-only HT (oral [n = 16], transdermal [n = 20], vaginal [n = 19]), and 223 were never HT users (control). Ever use of oral estrogen was associated with increased SBP and DBP (Oral: SBP: 137 ± 4 mmHg, DBP: 79 ± 2 mmHg) compared to use of non-oral estrogen (transdermal: SBP: 118 ± 2 mmHg, DBP: 73 ± 1 mmHg; p < 0.01 & p = 0.012, respectively; vaginal: SBP: 123 ± 2 mmHg DBP: 73 ± 2 mmHg; p = 0.02 & p = 0.01, respectively.) and controls (SBP: 124 ± 1 mmHg, DBP: 74 ± 1 mmHg, p = 0.03, p = 0.02, respectively) after adjustment for covariates. aPWV was higher in oral estrogen ever users (9.9 ± 1 m/s) compared to non-oral estrogen (transdermal: 8.6 ± 0.3 m/s, p < 0.01; vaginal: 8.8 ± 0.7 m/s, p = 0.03) and controls (8.9 ± 0.5 m/s, p = 0.03) but these associations were no longer significant after adjustment for covariates. AIx was higher in oral estrogen (29 ± 2 %) compared to non-oral estrogen (transdermal: 16 ± 2 %; vaginal: 22 ± 1.7 %) but this association was no longer significant after adjustment for covariates (p = 0.92 vs. non-oral; p = 0.74 vs. control). Conclusion: Ever use of oral estrogen was associated with increased SBP and DBP compared to non-oral estrogen use and no use. Given the cardiovascular risk associated with both menopause and increased blood pressure, further studies are required exploring the potential benefits of non-oral estrogen in postmenopausal women.

The effect of non-oral hormonal contraceptives on hypertension and blood pressure: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Oral contraceptives (OC) are associated with increased risk of hypertension and elevated blood pressure (BP). Whether non-oral hormonal contraceptives have similar associations is unknown. We sought to investigate the effect of non-oral hormonal contraceptive (NOHC) use on the risk of hypertension and changes in BP, compared to non-hormonal contraceptive and OC use. We searched bibliographic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) until August 2020. Studies reporting risk of hypertension or changes in systolic and diastolic BP with NOHC use compared with either non-hormonal contraceptive or OC use. Abstract screening, full-text review, data extraction, and quality assessment were completed in duplicate. For studies reporting dichotomous outcomes, we reported results as relative risk with 95% confidence intervals (CI). A random-effects model was used to estimate pooled weighted mean difference and 95% CI of change in BP. Twenty-five studies were included. A lower incidence of hypertension was observed with injectable contraceptive use compared to non-hormonal contraceptive and OC use, although it was unclear if this was statistically significant. Compared to non-hormonal contraceptive use, injectable contraceptive use was associated with increased BP (SBP: 3.24 mmHg, 95%CI 2.49 to 3.98 mmHg; DBP: 3.15 mmHg, 95%CI 0.09 to 6.20 mmHg), the hormonal intra-uterine device use was associated with reduced BP (SBP: -4.50 mmHg, 95%CI -8.44 to -0.57 mmHg; DBP: -7.48 mmHg, 95% -14.90 to -0.05 mmHg), and the vaginal ring was associated with reduced diastolic BP (-3.90 mmHg, 95%CI -6.67 to -1.13 mmHg). Compared to OC use, the injectable contraceptive use was associated with increased diastolic BP (2.38 mmHg, 95%CI 0.39 to 4.38 mmHg). NOHC use is associated with changes in BP which differ by type and route of administration. Given the strong association between incremental increases in BP and cardiovascular risk, prospective studies are required.

The Canadian Women's Heart Health Alliance Atlas on the Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Management of Cardiovascular Disease in Women - Chapter 4: Sex- and Gender-Unique Disparities: CVD Across the Lifespan of a Woman.

Women have unique sex- and gender-related risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) that can present or evolve over their lifespan. Pregnancy-associated conditions, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and menopause can increase a woman's risk of CVD. Women are at greater risk for autoimmune rheumatic disorders, which play a role in the predisposition and pathogenesis of CVD. The influence of traditional CVD risk factors (eg, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, physical inactivity, depression, anxiety, and family history) is greater in women than men. Finally, there are sex differences in the response to treatments for CVD risk and comorbid disease processes. In this Atlas chapter we review sex- and gender-unique CVD risk factors that can occur across a woman's lifespan, with the aim to reduce knowledge gaps and guide the development of optimal strategies for awareness and treatment.

Les femmes présentent des facteurs de risque de maladies cardiovasculaires (MCV) uniques, liés au sexe et au genre, qui peuvent se manifester ou évoluer tout au long de leur vie. Les troubles médicaux associés à la grossesse, le syndrome des ovaires polykystiques et la ménopause peuvent augmenter le risque de MCV chez une femme. Les femmes sont plus exposées aux troubles rhumatologiques auto-immuns, qui jouent un rôle dans la prédisposition et dans la pathogenèse des MCV. L'influence des facteurs de risque traditionnels pour les MCV (par exemple, le tabagisme, l'hypertension, le diabète, l'obésité, la sédentarité, la dépression, l'anxiété et les antécédents familiaux) est plus importante chez les femmes que chez les hommes. Enfin, il existe des différences entre les sexes dans la réponse aux traitements du risque de MCV et des processus pathologiques comorbides. Dans ce chapitre de l'Atlas, nous passons en revue les facteurs de risque de MCV propres au sexe et au genre qui peuvent survenir tout au long de la vie d'une femme, dans le but de réduire les lacunes dans les connaissances et d'orienter l'élaboration de stratégies optimales de sensibilisation et de traitement.

In-Hospital Complications in Pregnancies Conceived by Assisted Reproductive Technology.

Background Assisted reproductive technology (ART) has emerged as a common treatment option for infertility, a problem that affects an estimated 48 million couples worldwide. Advancing maternal age with increasing prepregnancy cardiovascular risk factors, such as chronic hypertension, obesity, and diabetes, has raised concerns about pregnancy complications associated with ART. However, in-hospital complications following pregnancies conceived by ART are poorly described. Methods and Results To assess the patient characteristics, obstetric outcomes, vascular complications and temporal trends of pregnancies conceived by ART, we analyzed hospital deliveries conceived with or without ART between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2016, from the United States National Inpatient Sample database. We included 106 248 deliveries conceived with ART and 34 167 246 deliveries conceived without ART. Women who conceived with ART were older (35 versus 28 years; P<0.0001) and had more comorbidities. ART-conceived pregnancies were independently associated with vascular complications (acute kidney injury: adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.52; 95% CI 1.99-3.19; and arrhythmia: aOR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.46-1.86), and adverse obstetric outcomes (placental abruption: aOR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.41-1.74; cesarean delivery: aOR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.33-1.43; and preterm birth: aOR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.20-1.32), including in subgroups without cardiovascular disease risk factors or without multifetal pregnancies. Higher hospital charges ($18 705 versus $11 983; P<0.0001) were incurred compared with women who conceived without ART. Conclusions Pregnancies conceived by ART have higher risks of adverse obstetric outcomes and vascular complications compared with spontaneous conception. Clinicians should have detailed discussions on the associated complications of ART in women during prepregnancy counseling.

Anti-Müllerian hormone and vascular dysfunction in women with chronic kidney disease.

Young women with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have disproportionately increased risk of cardiovascular mortality. Reduced anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is linked to poor cardiovascular outcomes in the general population, but whether AMH is associated with increased cardiovascular risk in the high-risk CKD population is unknown. This study examined the association between AMH and vascular function, validated markers of cardiovascular risk, in women with CKD. An exploratory cross-sectional study was performed in 47 young women with CKD. Laboratory measurements of AMH were collected. Using standardized protocols, endothelial function was measured with brachial artery flow-mediated dilation and hyperemic velocity time integral. Arterial stiffness was measured with aortic augmentation index and pulse wave velocity. Multivariate linear regression analyses were utilized to evaluate the association between AMH levels and each measure of vascular health. Forty women (36 ± 7 years) with non-dialysis-dependent CKD and 7 women (38 ± 6 years) with dialysis-dependent CKD participated. AMH levels were inversely associated with age (p = 0.01) but not associated with eGFR (p = 0.59) or dialysis status (p = 0.97). AMH was associated with brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (R2  = 0.21 [p = 0.03]) and aortic augmentation index (R2  = 0.20 [p = 0.04]) in the non-dialysis-dependent participants, and with aortic augmentation index in all participants (R2  = 0.18 [p = 0.03]). No association between AMH and any measure of vascular function was demonstrated in the dialysis-dependent participants. AMH levels are associated with impaired vascular function in young women with CKD and may be an important marker of future cardiovascular risk. Further investigation into this female-specific cardiovascular risk factor is warranted in this high-risk population.

Optimising Women's Cardiovascular Health After Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy: A Translational Approach to Cardiovascular Disease Prevention.

Women who experience a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy (HDP) are among those at the highest risk of premature cardiovascular disease (CVD). In Canada, effective CVD prevention interventions tailored specifically for this high-risk population are urgently needed. The objective of this review is to summarise a broad range of mechanistic and clinical studies examining the association of HDPs with future CVD to inform postpartum clinical follow-up strategies focused on improving women's cardiovascular health. The current state of the science (animal model, observational, and intervention studies) largely support 2 main hypotheses explaining the epidemiologic link between HDPs and long-term risk of CVD. First, that the complicated pregnancy "unmasks" women who were predisposed to CVD before pregnancy (eg, women with subclinical atherosclerosis or prepregnancy CVD risk factors). And second, that HDP causes vascular dysfunction and/or worsens preexisting subclinical CVD risk factors. Despite this strong evidence, several knowledge gaps remain in the understanding of specific mechanisms linking these theories and the impacts of other important contributors (eg, intersectional factors). From a clinical perspective, given the consistent data demonstrating a high prevalence of CVD risk factors after HDP, routine care after pregnancy at minimum should include: 1) standardised assessment of pregnancy-associated CV risks, 2) early and regular screening of traditional CVD risk factors, 3) education and support for health behaviours as first-line therapy (including breastfeeding), 4) individualised pharmacotherapy (eg, statins, antihypertensives, or antiglycemic agents as clinically indicated), and 5) consideration of a woman's health goals, reproductive plans, and social context.

Infertility and the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: Findings From the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN).

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in women globally. In recent years, attention has turned to infertility and pregnancy-related events as potential markers for early mortality and future CVD. METHODS: The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) is an ongoing longitudinal cohort study of women's health. Women aged 42-52 years with a uterus and ≤ 1 intact ovary, a menstrual period, and no hormone medications within 3 months before enrollment were eligible. Infertility was self-reported and defined as the inability to achieve pregnancy after 12 months of trying to conceive, or use of fertility medications for > 1 month. Outcomes included development of metabolic syndrome over a 7-year follow-up, and any atherosclerotic CVD event (ie, stroke, angina, myocardial infarction) over a 10-year follow-up. Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) for metabolic syndrome and CVD events in participants with infertility, with adjustment for relevant covariates. Participants without infertility were used as the comparison group. RESULTS: We included 2370 participants in the analysis of metabolic syndrome risk, and 2809 participants were included in the analysis of CVD event risk. Participants with self-reported infertility did not have a higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome (HR, 0.91; 95% confidence interval, 0.71-1.15) or experiencing CVD events (HR, 0.79; 95% confidence interval, 0.52-1.21) after adjusting for relevant covariates. CONCLUSIONS: Infertility was not associated with development of metabolic syndrome or CVD events in women; further research is required to investigate the effects of specific causes of infertility and fertility treatments on CVD outcomes.

INTRODUCTION: Les maladies cardiovasculaires (MCV) sont la principale cause de décès chez les femmes dans le monde. Au cours de dernières années, l'infertilité et les complications de la grossesse ont retenu l'attention, à savoir qu'ils constituent des marqueurs potentiels de la mortalité précoce et des MCV futures. MÉTHODES: La Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (l'étude SWAN) qui constitue une étude de cohorte longitudinale sur la santé des femmes est en cours. Les femmes âgées de 42 à 52 ans qui ont un utérus et ≤ 1 ovaire intact, une période menstruelle et qui ne prenaient aucun médicament hormonal 3 mois avant le recrutement étaient admissibles. L'infertilité était autodéclarée et définie comme l'incapacité à être enceinte après 12 mois de tentatives de conception ou l'utilisation de médicaments pour traiter l'infertilité durant > 1 mois. L'issue était la suivante : la survenue du syndrome métabolique au cours du suivi de 7 ans ou de tout événement lié à la MCV athérosclérotique (c.-à-d. l'accident vasculaire cérébral, l'angine, l'infarctus du myocarde) au cours du suivi de 10 ans. Nous avons utilisé les modèles de risques proportionnels de Cox pour calculer les rapports de risque (RR) du syndrome métabolique et des événements liés aux MCV chez les participantes infertiles par l'ajustement des covariables pertinentes. Les participantes fertiles constituaient le groupe témoin. RÉSULTATS: Nous avons recruté 2 370 participantes pour l'analyse du risque de syndrome métabolique, et 2 809 participantes pour l'analyse du risque d'événements liés aux MCV. Les participantes qui avaient autodéclaré leur infertilité n'avaient pas de risque plus élevé de souffrir du syndrome métabolique (RR, 0,91 ; intervalle de confiance à 95 %, 0,71-1,15) ou de subir des événements liés aux MCV (RR, 0,79 ; intervalle de confiance à 95 %, 0,52-1,21) après l'ajustement des covariables pertinentes. CONCLUSIONS: L'infertilité n'était pas associée à la survenue du syndrome métabolique ou des événements liés aux MCV chez les femmes. D'autres recherches qui porteront sur les effets des causes particulières de l'infertilité et des traitements favorisant la fertilité sur l'évolution des MCV sont nécessaires.