Background: The benefits of physical activity during pregnancy include lower maternal weight gain, a lower likelihood of gestational diabetes, low back pain, preeclampsia, preterm delivery, caesarian delivery, and macrosomia. This study aimed to examine the factors associated with insufficient leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) during the first trimester. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Clinic for Obstetrics and Gynecology of Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, between January and June of 2018. The final analyses included 162/175 pregnant women. The questionnaire was used to obtain social characteristics, pregnancy, and lifestyle characteristics (Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System—PRAMS), pre-pregnancy LTPA (International Physical Activity Questionnaire—IPAQ), and LTPA during the first trimester (Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire—PPAQ). Women were classified into two groups of sufficient and insufficient LTPA during the first trimester based on the recommendations of the World Health Organization. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was applied. Results: A total of 27.2% of the women had insufficient LTPA during pregnancy. Insufficient LTPA during pregnancy was associated with <12 years of education (OR: 2.3, 95% CI: 1.05–5.04), self-rated financial status as poor (OR: 0.34, 95% CI: 0.14–0.79), and hours spent walking before pregnancy (OR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.77–0.99). Conclusions: Our results can help direct health care professionals advice for women who are planning pregnancy towards walking as it seems to be sustained during pregnancy.

Abstract Context Preeclampsia is a leading cardiovascular complication in pregnancy lacking effective diagnostic and treatment strategies. Objective To investigate the diagnostic and therapeutic potential of the angiogenesis markers, FKBPL-CD44, in preeclampsia pathogenesis Design and Intervention FKBPL and CD44 plasma or placental concentration was determined in women pre- or post-diagnosis of preeclampsia. Trophoblast and endothelial cell function was assessed following mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) treatment and in the context of FKBPL signalling. Settings and Participants Human samples pre-diagnosis (15 and 20 weeks’ gestation; n≥57), or post-diagnosis (n=18 for plasma; n=4 for placenta) of preeclampsia were used to determine FKBPL and CD44 concentration, compared to healthy controls. Trophoblast or endothelial cells were exposed to low/high oxygen, and treated with MSC-conditioned media (MSC-CM) or a FKBPL overexpression plasmid. Main outcome Measures Preeclampsia risk stratification and diagnostic potential of FKBPL and CD44 were investigated. MSC treatment effects and FKBPL-CD44 signalling in trophoblast and endothelial cells were assessed. Results The CD44/FKBPL ratio was reduced in placenta and plasma following clinical diagnosis of preeclampsia. At 20 weeks’ gestation, a high plasma CD44/FKBPL ratio was independently associated with the 2.5-fold increased risk of preeclampsia (OR=2.5, 95% CI 1.12-5.41, p=0.02). In combination with high mean arterial blood pressure (MABP &gt; 82.5 mmHg), the risk further increased to 3.9-fold (95% CI 1.30-11.84, p=0.016). Both hypoxia and MSC-based therapy inhibited FKBPL-CD44 signalling enhancing cell angiogenesis. Conclusions The FKBPL-CD44 pathway appears to have a central role in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia, showing promising utilities for early diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.

DFA1 ≥ 1200 U/L is an important predictive factor for PF of any degree. The trend of DFA3 (decrease of < 50%) compared to DFA1 is a significant factor in the differentiation of CRPF from transient BPF.

Cardiovascular and reproductive health of women have been going hand in hand since the dawn of time, however, their links have been poorly studied and once the basis of their connections started to be established in late 20th century, it depended on local regional abilities and the level of progressive thinking to afford comprehensive women?s care beyond the ?bikini medicine?. Further research identified different associations rendering more conditions sex-specific and launching therefore a slow, yet initial turn around in clinical trials? concept as the majority of global cardiovascular guidelines rely on the results of research conducted on a very modest percentage of women and even less on the women of color. Currently, the concept of women?s heart centers varies depending on the local demographics? guided needs, available logistics driven by budgeting and societal support of a broad-minded thinking environment, free of bias for everyone: from young adults questioning their gender identity, via women of reproductive age both struggling to conceive or keep working part time when healthy and line of work permits it during pregnancy, up to aging and the elderly. Using ?Investigate-Educate-Advocate-Legislate? as the four pillars of advancing cardiovascular care of women, we aimed to summarize standing of women?s health in Serbia, present ongoing projects and propose actionable solutions for the future.

Both pregnancy, as physiological, and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), as a pathological condition, carry the risk for developing glucose metabolism abnormalities. In this retrospective cross-sectional study, we hypothesized that pregnancy as a physiological condition carries a higher likelihood for abnormal oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) results than PCOS as a pathological condition. We have compared the prevalence and likelihood ratios for abnormal OGTT results between non-pregnant women with PCOS (Group A) and pregnant women at 24 to 28 weeks of gestation (Group B). Participants of both study groups underwent glucose tolerance testing with 75 g glucose OGTT. During the study period, 7411 women were tested, 3932 women encompassed Group A, and 3479 women comprised Group B. The numbers of yearly tested pregnant women and the corresponding proportion of tested women among all study participants have decreased during the study period, from 766 to 131 and 89.1% to 20.5%, respectively. Group A had a significantly lower prevalence (4.4%) of pathological OGTT results compared to Group B (8.1%). This has resulted in a 45.427 likelihood ratio ( P < .001) for abnormal OGTT results in pregnant women compared to non-pregnant women with PCOS. We might conclude that pregnancy could have a more challenging influence on glucose metabolism and that carries higher risks for abnormal glucose metabolism than PCOS. The awareness of obstetricians regarding physiological changes during pregnancy that predisposes abnormal glucose metabolism is decreasing over time and the compliance concerning OGTT testing of pregnant women is decreasing too.