Vascular Health in Adults Born After Using Assisted Reproductive Technologies

Langer, Magdalena; Vilsmaier, Theresa�; Kramer, Marie; Sciuk, Franziska; Kolbinger, Brenda; Li, Pengzhu; Jakob, André; Rogenhofer, Nina; Dalla‐Pozza, Robert; Thaler, Christian J.; Haas, Nikolaus A.; Oberhoffer, Felix Sebastian

doi:10.1007/s00246-022-03050-4

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…In some parameters, such as BMI, waist circumference and arterial stiffness, the ART group displayed an even more favourable profile ( 37 ). In accordance with the above-mentioned findings as well as with previous publications of our departments, the results of the current study do not indicate significant impairments of cardiovascular function in a cohort of children, adolescents and young adults conceived after using ART compared to spontaneously conceived peers ( 11 , 38 ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Vascular function in a cohort of children, adolescents and young adults conceived through assisted reproductive technologies—results from the Munich heARTerY-study

Oberhoffer,

Langer,

et al. 2023

Transl Pediatr

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Background Over 8 million individuals worldwide have been conceived through assisted reproductive technologies (ART). There is conflicting evidence on the cardiovascular health of ART offspring. This study aimed to investigate vascular function in a cohort of children, adolescents and young adults conceived through ART compared to spontaneously conceived peers. Methods Anthropometric variables, diet quality, level of physical activity and sedentary behavior were assessed. An extensive evaluation of vascular function was conducted. Blood pressure as well as endothelial function were evaluated. Carotid intima-media thickness was recorded sonographically. Blood draws were taken to determine blood lipids as well as HbA1c. Results In total, 66 ART subjects conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection and 86 spontaneously conceived peers were included in this observational cohort study. Both groups were similar in age [11.31 (8.10–18.00) vs. 11.85 (8.72–18.27) years, P=0.373]. ART subjects displayed a significantly higher body fat percentage [19.30% (15.80–26.02%) vs. 15.91% (13.21–21.00%), P=0.007]. Both groups did not differ significantly in diet quality, physical activity, sedentary behavior, and vascular function. Blood lipids and HbA1c were comparable between both groups. ART subjects showed significantly lower levels of triglycerides compared to spontaneously conceived peers. The prevalence of lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] ≥50 mg/dL tended to be higher within the ART cohort. Vascular function did not deteriorate more profoundly with age in ART subjects than in spontaneously conceived peers. Conclusions The results of the current study do not indicate a significantly lower vascular function in a cohort of children, adolescents and young adults conceived through ART compared to spontaneously conceived peers. Future studies should address the prevalence of elevated Lp(a) levels in infertile individuals who sought ART treatment. In addition, more studies evaluating body fat percentage as well as cardiovascular morbidity in adult ART subjects are required. For a more precise cardiovascular risk stratification, multi-center studies with larger ART sample sizes, preferably at adult age, are required in the future.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Vascular function in a cohort of children, adolescents and young adults conceived through assisted reproductive technologies—results from the Munich heARTerY-study

Oberhoffer,

Langer,

et al. 2023

Transl Pediatr

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“…As this pilot study was part of the Munich heARTerY-study (assisted reproductive technologies and their effects on heart and arterial function in youth), inclusion and exclusion criteria focused primarily on the pediatric cohort [12][13][14][15][16]. To assess whether parents with history of ART displayed an increased cardiovascular morbidity, no exclusion criteria were applied for the parental cohort.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vascular Health of Females with History of Assisted Reproductive Technology

Li,

Langer,

Vilsmaier

et al. 2024

JCDD

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The use of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) for the treatment of infertility is gaining popularity. Limited data on the overall vascular health of females with history of ART are available. This pilot study aimed to investigate the overall vascular health of females with history of ART compared to individuals who conceived spontaneously. The assessment of overall vascular health included the measurement of brachial blood pressure, central blood pressure, and pulse wave velocity, as well as the evaluation of the arterial stiffness and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) of the common carotid arteries. Conventional blood lipids including lipoprotein a (Lp(a)) were also determined. In total, 45 females with history of ART and 52 females who conceived spontaneously were included (mean age: 47.72 ± 5.96 years vs. 46.84 ± 7.43 years, p = 0.525). An initial comparison revealed a significantly higher prevalence of elevated Lp(a) in ART females (p = 0.011). However, after multiple comparison correction, the significant result disappeared (p = 0.132). Within the cohort of ART females, no significantly higher cardiovascular risk was detected regarding vascular function. The potentially higher prevalence of elevated Lp(a) in ART females must be further investigated in future studies, as it might contribute to the impaired reproductive process in this cohort.

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