Objectives. To examine the extent to which measures of adiposity can be used to predict selected components of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and elevated C-reactive protein (CRP). Methods. A total of 1,518 Peruvian adults were included in this study. Waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), waist-hip ratio (WHR), waist-height ratio (WHtR), and visceral adiposity index (VAI) were examined. The prevalence of each MetS component was determined according to tertiles of each anthropometric measure. ROC curves were used to evaluate the extent to which measures of adiposity can predict cardiovascular risk. Results. All measures of adiposity had the strongest correlation with triglyceride concentrations (TG). For both genders, as adiposity increased, the prevalence of Mets components increased. Compared to individuals with low-BMI and low-WC, men and women with high-BMI and high- WC had higher odds of elevated fasting glucose, blood pressure, TG, and reduced HDL, while only men in this category had higher odds of elevated CRP. Overall, the ROCs showed VAI, WC, and WHtR to be the best predictors for individual MetS components. Conclusions. The results of our study showed that measures of adiposity are correlated with cardiovascular risk although no single adiposity measure was identified as the best predictor for MetS.

The findings indicate the need to include IPV screening and treatment in prenatal care and reproductive health settings.

Objective Intimate partner violence (IPV) is increasingly recognized as an important cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity. We assessed the relation between IPV and risk of spontaneous preterm birth (PTB) among Peruvian women. Methods The study was conducted among 479 pregnant women who delivered a preterm singleton infant (<37 weeks gestation) and 480 controls (≥37 weeks gestation). Participants’ exposure to physical and emotional violence during pregnancy was collected during in-person interviews conducted after delivery and while patients were in hospital. Odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated from logistic regression models. Results The prevalence of any IPV during pregnancy was 52.2% among cases and 34.6% among controls. Compared with those reporting no exposure to IPV during pregnancy, women reporting any exposure had a 2.1-fold increased risk of PTB (95% CI 1.59–2.68). The association was attenuated slightly after adjusting for maternal age, pre-pregnancy weight, and other covariates (OR=1.99; 95% CI: 1.52–2.61). Emotional abuse in the absence of physical violence was associated with a 1.6-fold (95% CI 1.21–2.15) increased risk of PTB. Emotional and physical abuse during pregnancy was associated with a 4.7-fold increased risk of PTB (95% CI 2.74–7.92). Associations of similar directions and magnitudes were observed when PTB were sub-categorized according to clinical presentation or severity. Conclusion IPV among pregnant women is common and is associated with an increased risk of PTB. Our findings and those of others support recent calls for coordinated global health efforts to prevent violence against women.

Background: Preeclampsia involves endothelial dysfunction, platelet dysfunction/activation and sympathetic over-activity similar to cardiovascular disorders (CVD). Depression, an independent risk factor for progression of CVD, was found to be associated with an increased risk of preeclampsia among Finnish women. We examined the relation between depression/depressive symptoms and preeclampsia risk among Peruvian women.