Nulliparity is associated with less healthy markers of subclinical cardiovascular disease in young women with overweight and obesity

Abstract

Objective Higher parity is associated with increased subclinical cardiovascular disease (CVD) in mid-life and older women, and with increased CVD risk overall. The relationship between parity, subclinical CVD, and infertility in overweight and obese young women has been infrequently evaluated. Methods Reproductive histories were obtained in 191 (73%) overweight and obese (BMI 25 – 39.9 kg/m2) young women participating in a weight loss trial. Baseline carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and inter-adventitial diameter (IAD) were assessed via B-mode ultrasound. Linear regression was used to estimate the relationship between parity and carotid measures, adjusted for demographic, cardiovascular and reproductive risk factors. Results Nulliparous women (n=70, age 34.9 ± 7.1) had increased common carotid IAD (.230 mm, SE .08, P = .003) and mean CCA IMT (.031 mm, SE .01, P = .007) compared with parous women (n=102, age 39.5 ± 4.9), persisting after adjustment for age, race, and CVD risk factors. No other reproductive factors were statistically significantly associated. Conclusions Nulliparity is associated with markers of less healthy carotid arteries in a sample of disease-free, overweight or obese 25-45 year-old women. This may represent a beneficial effect of pregnancy or indicate overall better health in overweight/obese women capable of childbearing.

Matrine inhibits prostate cancer via activation of the unfolded protein response/endoplasmic reticulum stress signaling and reversal of epithelial to mesenchymal transition

“…However, continued ER stress activates the downstream factors of the PERK pathway, such as pro-apoptotic gene C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), and causes apoptosis and cell death ( 46 , 51 , 52 ). UPR can also potentiate the EMT of gastric cancer cells under situations of severe hypoxia ( 53 ). In current study, it was found that matrine time-dependently increased Bip, p-eIF2α, ATF4 and CHOP expression in DU145 and PC-3 prostate cancer cells, and increased Bip and ATF4 expression in prostate cancer tumor tissues.…”

Parity and risk of maternal cardiovascular disease: A dose–response meta-analysis of cohort studies

“…Many studies have shown that reproductive factors may affect women's health in later life. 1–4 A recent meta-analysis 5 revealed that an increasing number of parity was associated with a linearly reduced hip fracture risk, while another meta-analysis 6 indicated that higher parity was significantly associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in American women 7 and in Chinese middle-aged and older women.…”

Gravidity is not associated with telomere length in a biracial cohort of middle-aged women: The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study

“…Women who have had 2 or 3 births have the lowest cardiovascular mortality rate compared with women with less than 2 or more than 4 births [ 2 ]. Furthermore, women who have had 2–3 births have less evidence of subclinical atherosclerosis (reduced carotid intima-media thickness; cIMT, coronary artery calcium; CAC, and increased carotid distensibility) compared with women who have had less than 2 or 4 or more births years later [ 3 – 5 ]. Taken together, these data suggest that experiencing 2–3 pregnancies may reduce cardiovascular risk during aging in women.…”