Association Between Preeclampsia and Blood Pressure in Offspring: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Pregnancy-induced preeclampsia is a severe pregnancy complication and preeclampsia has been associated with an increased risk of chronic hypertension for offspring. However, the magnitude of the overall effect of exposure to preeclampsia in pregnancy on blood pressure (BP) in offspring is unknown. This systematic review and meta-analysis was sought to systematically assess the effects of preeclampsia on the BP of the offspring. RECENT FINDINGS: Of 2550 publications identified, 23 studies were included. The meta-analysis indicated that preeclampsia increases the potential risk of hypertension in offspring. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was 2.0 mm Hg (95% CI: 1.2, 2.8) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was 1.4 mm Hg (95% CI: 0.9, 1.9) higher in offspring exposed to pre-eclampsia in utero, compared to those born to normotensive mothers. The correlations were similar in stratified analyses of children and adolescents by sex, geographic area, ages, and gestational age. During childhood and young adulthood, the offspring of pregnant women with preeclampsia are at an increased risk of high BP. It is crucial to monitor their BP.

Insulinemic and inflammatory dietary patterns show enhanced predictive potential for gestational diabetes mellitus risk.

CONTEXT: The putative association between proinflammatory and hyperinsulinemic dietary patterns and susceptibility to gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to compare the risk associated with the Mediterranean diet, as well as insulinemic and proinflammatory dietary patterns, in relation to the occurrence of GDM, and evaluate their predictive value. METHODS: We prospectively followed 8, 495 women from the Maternal and Infant Health cohort in Hefei, China (2015-2021). Using a food frequency questionnaire, we calculated the Empirical Dietary Inflammatory Pattern (EDIP), the Empirical Dietary Index for Hyperinsulinemia (EDIH) score, and the Mediterranean diet (MD) score. GDM was diagnosed based on a 2-hour 75-gram oral glucose tolerance test conducted between 24 to 28 weeks of gestation. Logistic regression was used to estimate the risk of GDM, while Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to evaluate the predictive performance of the empirical dietary index for GDM. RESULTS: Participants who followed hyperinsulinemic or proinflammatory dietary patterns to the greatest extent had a higher risk of developing GDM. The OR for the highest quartile compared to the lowest quartile were 1.39 (95% CI: 1.30-1.49) for EDIH and 2.40 (95% CI: 1.88-3.01) for EDIP. The OR for the lowest quartile compared to the highest quartile was 1.33 (95% CI:1.14-1.55)for MD. The ROC curve analysis indicated that the combination of EDIP and EDIH (AUC = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.78-0.82, P = 0.003) can effectively predict the occurrence of GDM. CONCLUSIONS: Utilizing both empirical dietary indexes, EDIP and EDIH, might offer a potentially more effective approach in preventing GDM when compared to solely focusing on adherence to the Mediterranean diet pattern.

Association between the Maternal Mediterranean Diet and Perinatal Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The Mediterranean diet is a global, well-known healthy dietary pattern. This review aims to synthesize the existing evidence on the relationship between the maternal Mediterranean diet during pregnancy and perinatal outcomes, including randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies. PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched from inception to 10 March, 2023, supplemented by manual screening. A random-effect model was used to estimate pooled sizes with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for specific outcomes of interest. Data from 5 RCTs and 18 cohort studies with 107,355 pregnant participants were synthesized. In RCTs, it was observed that the maternal Mediterranean diet significantly reduced the incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus [odds ratio (OR), 0.56; 95% CI: 0.34, 0.93], as well as small for gestational age (0.55; 95% CI: 0.35, 0.88). In cohort studies, the highest adherence score to the maternal Mediterranean diet was inversely associated with a lower risk of various adverse pregnancy outcomes, including gestational diabetes mellitus (OR, 0.82; 95% CI: 0.67, 1.00), pregnancy-induced hypertension (0.73; 95% CI: 0.60, 0.89), pre-eclampsia (0.77; 95% CI: 0.64, 0.93), preterm delivery (0.67; 95% CI: 0.49, 0.91), low birth weight (0.70; 95% CI: 0.64, 0.78), intrauterine growth restriction (0.46; 95% CI: 0.23, 0.91), and increased gestational age at delivery (weighted mean difference, 0.11 wk; 95% CI: 0.03, 0.20). Meta-regression analyses did not identify the adjustment for confounders and geographical location as predictive factors for heterogeneity. The results suggest that adherence to the Mediterranean diet during pregnancy appears to be beneficial for perinatal outcomes. Future, larger, and higher-quality RCTs and cohort studies are warranted to confirm the present findings. PROSPERO registration no.: CRD42023406317.

The chemical and oxidation characteristics of semi-dry flue gas desulfurization ash from a steel factory.

Some samples of semi-dry flue gas desulfurization (FGD) ash were taken from sinter gas of a steel factory. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses were employed to identify the samples in order to investigate their physical and chemical characteristics. The results show that semi-dry FGD ash from a steel factory is stable under atmospheric conditions. It has irregular shape, a smooth surface and loose construction. The size of FGD ash particles is around 0.5-25 µm, the average size is about 5 µm and the median diameter is 4.18 µm. Semi-dry FGD ash from a steel factory consists of CaSO3, CaSO4, CaCO3, some amorphous vitreous material and unburned carbon. An experimental method was found to study the oxidation characteristics of ash. A prediction model of the oxidation efficiency was obtained based on response surface methodology. The results show that not only the temperature, but also gas:solid ratio, play an important role in influencing the oxidation efficiency. The interactions of the gas:solid ratio with temperature play an essential role. An improved response surface model was obtained which can be helpful to describe the degree of oxidation efficiency of semi-dry FGD ash.