A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library to investigate the association between preeclampsia and arterial stiffness. Twenty-three relevant studies were included. A significant increase in all arterial stiffness indices combined was observed in women with preeclampsia vs. women with normotensive pregnancies [standardized mean difference 1.62, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.73-2.50]; carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) and augmentation index (AIx) were also significantly increased (weighted mean difference, WMDcfPWV 1.04, 95% CI 0.34-1.74; WMDAIx 15.10, 95% CI 5.08-25.11), whereas carotid-radial PWV (crPWV) increase did not reach significance (WMDcrPWV 0.99, 95% CI -0.07 to 2.05). Significant increases in arterial stiffness measurements were noted in women with preeclampsia compared with those with gestational hypertension. Arterial stiffness measurements may also be useful in predicting preeclampsia and may play a role in the increased risk of future cardiovascular complications seen in women with a history of preeclampsia.

OCP use was associated with significant increases in aortic and peripheral blood pressures, but not with increased arterial stiffness. Given the widespread OCP use, future longitudinal studies are needed to confirm our findings and assess the long-term effect of OCPs on arterial stiffness and hemodynamics.

Abstract:Objective: Benign breast disease includes a wide spectrum of lesions different for histology and natural history, whose association with oral contraceptives is of great interest because there are no univocal results in literature. Subjects and Methods: The purpose of our study is to assess the relationship between women who used long-term estro-progestin (for at least 12 consecutive months up to a maximum of 60 months) and the develop of benign breast disease comparing with a case-control group composed by patients with benign breast disease, non-users of oral contraceptives. The study included 263 women attending, from 2009 to 2012, the Gynecological Endocrinology and Ultrasounds outpatients of our Department, who used oestroprogestative pills for Contraception, treatment of acne, hirsutism and treatment of dysmenorrheal and a control group of 200 patients with benign breast disease, non-users of Oral Contraceptives.Results: According to recent trials we did not observe statistically significant morphological and anatomical alterations of the breast in the group treated with estrogen-progestin therapy in comparison with the control group. Conclusion: If the woman presents a nodular breast mass during estro-progestin therapy she should be evaluated ultrasonographically to assess if the formation grows. If there is an increase in volume of the mass the patient should suspend the therapy.

Neural tube defects (NTDs) are congenital malformations of the brain and spinal cord caused by failure of the neural tube to close between 21 and 28 days following conception. Each year almost 400.000 infants are born with NTDs all over the world. Although many advances have been made in the spina bifida's treatment and have led to an increased life expectancy and an improved life quality, no treatment exists that will completely eliminate the serious disability or premature mortality associated with it. For such a reason, reducing the risk of NTDs is an important goal. It is widely accepted that adequate maternal consumption of folic acid before pregnancy and during the early weeks of gestation can reduce the danger of having a child with a neural tube defect (NTD). As a result, public health authorities worldwide have recommended consuming 400 µg folic acid per day during the periconceptional period in order to decrease the risk of first occurrence NTDs . This recommended dose is based mainly on the amount of folic acid associated with a reduction in NTDs in the majority of epidemiological studies. Literature data asserts that folic acid can prevent about 70% of NTD conceptions while folic acid-containing multivitamin can prevent about 90%; the diagnostic efficacy of ultrasound is nearly 100% in anencephalic fetuses and about 80% in fetuses with different manifestations of spina bifida. A bibliographical research regarding folate and NTD prevention, between 1988 and 2012, was done. The words used for Literature research were: Folic Acid, Spina bifida, Neural Tube Defects, Malformations. Search engines employed were: Medline, Pubmed, PopLine and the most relevant reports on the topic.

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