Association Between History of Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes and Coronary Artery Disease Assessed by Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography.

Importance: Adverse pregnancy outcomes are recognized risk enhancers for cardiovascular disease, but the prevalence of subclinical coronary atherosclerosis after these conditions is unknown. Objective: To assess associations between history of adverse pregnancy outcomes and coronary artery disease assessed by coronary computed tomography angiography screening. Design, Setting, and Participants: Cross-sectional study of a population-based cohort of women in Sweden (n = 10 528) with 1 or more deliveries in 1973 or later, ascertained via the Swedish National Medical Birth Register, who subsequently participated in the Swedish Cardiopulmonary Bioimage Study at age 50 to 65 (median, 57.3) years in 2013-2018. Delivery data were prospectively collected. Exposures: Adverse pregnancy outcomes, including preeclampsia, gestational hypertension, preterm delivery, small-for-gestational-age infant, and gestational diabetes. The reference category included women with no history of these exposures. Main Outcomes and Measures: Coronary computed tomography angiography indexes, including any coronary atherosclerosis, significant stenosis, noncalcified plaque, segment involvement score of 4 or greater, and coronary artery calcium score greater than 100. Results: A median 29.6 (IQR, 25.0-34.9) years after first registered delivery, 18.9% of women had a history of adverse pregnancy outcomes, with specific pregnancy histories ranging from 1.4% (gestational diabetes) to 9.5% (preterm delivery). The prevalence of any coronary atherosclerosis in women with a history of any adverse pregnancy outcome was 32.1% (95% CI, 30.0%-34.2%), which was significantly higher (prevalence difference, 3.8% [95% CI, 1.6%-6.1%]; prevalence ratio, 1.14 [95% CI, 1.06-1.22]) compared with reference women. History of gestational hypertension and preeclampsia were both significantly associated with higher and similar prevalence of all outcome indexes. For preeclampsia, the highest prevalence difference was observed for any coronary atherosclerosis (prevalence difference, 8.0% [95% CI, 3.7%-12.3%]; prevalence ratio, 1.28 [95% CI, 1.14-1.45]), and the highest prevalence ratio was observed for significant stenosis (prevalence difference, 3.1% [95% CI, 1.1%-5.1%]; prevalence ratio, 2.46 [95% CI, 1.65-3.67]). In adjusted models, odds ratios for preeclampsia ranged from 1.31 (95% CI, 1.07-1.61) for any coronary atherosclerosis to 2.21 (95% CI, 1.42-3.44) for significant stenosis. Similar associations were observed for history of preeclampsia or gestational hypertension among women with low predicted cardiovascular risk. Conclusions and Relevance: Among Swedish women undergoing coronary computed tomography angiography screening, there was a statistically significant association between history of adverse pregnancy outcomes and image-identified coronary artery disease, including among women estimated to be at low cardiovascular disease risk. Further research is needed to understand the clinical importance of these associations.

A novel non-antimicrobial treatment of bacterial vaginosis: An open label two-private centre study.

BACKGROUND: Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common cause of vaginal discharge. It is caused by an imbalance in the normal vaginal microbiota. Symptoms include an offensive odour. Standard oral or vaginal antimicrobial treatments have high immediate cure rates but almost as high recurrence rates. pHyph, a vaginal pessary, contains glucono-delta-lactone (GDL) and sodium gluconate (NaG) which restore normal pH and disrupt the associated biofilm. AIM: To investigate the clinical performance of pHyph, for both treatment and recurrence prevention. Design An open-label, single arm, multi-centre first in women study. SETTING: Two private gynaecology clinics in Skåne County, Southern Sweden. METHODS: Twenty four adult women with confirmed bacterial vaginosis received the investigational product for self-administration on days 0, 2, 4, and 6 and were assessed on day 7. Clinical cure was defined as absence of three of four Amsel's criteria (pH excluded) on day 7. Safety and tolerability were also recorded. Those not cured by day 7 received a prolonged treatment protocol. Results There were three withdrawals, two before the day 7 assessment. 18/22 (82 %) were clinically cured at day 7. The pessary was well tolerated. Recurrence rates at 14 days in patients cured at day 7 after receiving standard study treatment (n = 18) were 1/18 (5.6 %) with no additional recurrences reported at 35 days. Three of four patients not cured at 7 days received continued treatment (day 7, 9, 11, and 13), but none were cured at 14 days. CONCLUSION: pHyph has the potential for both high cure rates and a reduction in recurrence.

[One year follow-up of patients discharged from the emergency department with non-specific abdominal pain]. / Afdrif sjúklinga með óútskýrða kviðverki á bráðamóttöku.

OBJECTIVE: Non-specific abdominal pain (NSAP) is the most common diagnosis of patients presenting to emergency departments (ED) with abdominal pain. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate how many NSAP patients were re-admitted within 1 year to the ED with abdominal pain. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Included were all patients discharged with NSAP from adult EDs of Landspítali University Hospital (gynecology and pediatric EDs excluded), from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2005. Hospital records for patients re-admitted within 12 months with abdominal pain were reviewed. Symptoms, pain location, blood tests and imaging results were registered, also the subsequent discharge diagnosis at re-admission. RESULTS: Out of 62.116 patients attending the EDs in 2005, 1411 (2.3%) were diagnosed with NSAP. During 12 months, 112 of these 1411 patients (7.9%) were re-admitted to the ED with abdominal pain, most of them ≥2 times. Out of 112 patients, 27 (24.1%) were discharged with a more specific diagnosis; cholelithiasis (29.6%), appendicitis (18.5%) and gastrointestinal cancer (7.4%) being the most common diagnosis. The other 85 (76%) patients were diagnosed with NSAP again. Surgery was performed in 17 of the 27 (63%) cases and 8 received specific treatment, most often antibiotics. CONCLUSION: Almost 8% of discharged NSAP patients were re-admitted within a year for abdominal pain. At re-admission, one of four patients received a more specific diagnosis, most often cholelithiasis or appendicitis. Our results suggest that the diagnosis of patients with NSAP, at the first visit to the ED, could be improved.