Cardiovascular Disease In Young Women Research Articles

Higher arterial stiffness and blunted vagal control of the heart in young women with compared to without a clinical diagnosis of PTSD.

Young women are typically thought to be protected from cardiovascular disease (CVD) before menopause. However, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) increases CVD risk in women by up to threefold. Data in predominantly male cohorts point to physiological mechanisms such as vascular and autonomic derangements as contributing to increased CVD risk. The purpose of the study reported here was to determine whether young women diagnosed with PTSD, compared to those without, present with arterial stiffness and impaired autonomic control of the heart. A total of 73 healthy young women, ranging in age from 18 to 40years, with a history of trauma exposure were included in this study, 32 with and 41 without a clinical PTSD diagnosis. We measured resting pulse wave velocity (PWV), central hemodynamics, augmentation pressure and augmentation index (AI) via pulse wave analysis using applanation tonometry. Heart rate variability was also assessed via peripheral arterial tone. In comparison to controls, women with PTSD showed higher central arterial pressure (mean ± standard deviation: systolic blood pressure 104 ± 8 vs. 97 ± 8mmHg, p < 0.001; diastolic blood pressure 72 ± 7 vs. 67 ± 7mmHg, p = 0.003), PWV (6 ± 0.3 vs. 5 ± 0.6m/s, p < 0.001) and AI (22 ± 13 vs. 15 ± 12%, p = 0.007) but lower standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN; 44 ± 17 vs. 54 ± 18ms, p = 0.005) and root mean square of successive differences between normal heartbeats (RMSSD; 37 ± 17 vs. 51 ± 22ms, p = 0.002). PTSD in young women is associated with higher brachial and central pressures, increased arterial stiffness and blunted parasympathetic control of the heart. These findings illustrate potential mechanisms underlying high risk for CVD in young women with PTSD, suggesting possible treatment targets for this at-risk group.

Functional Hypothalamic Amenorrhea and Preclinical Cardiovascular Disease.

Endothelial dysfunction is a preclinical cardiovascular disease (CVD) marker. Due to various neuroendocrine aberrations, functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (FHA) may be a sex-specific risk factor for CVD in young women. To investigate endothelial function in women with FHA, compared with eumenorrheic controls and recently menopausal women. We performed a cross-sectional analysis among women with FHA (n = 30), eumenorrheic controls (n = 29), and recently menopausal women (n = 30). FHA was defined as amenorrhea ≥3 consecutive months, estradiol <50 pg/mL, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) < 10 mIU/mL, and luteinizing hormone (LH) < 10 mIU/mL, excluding other etiologies. Participants were recruited through obstetrics and gynecology referrals, social media advertising, and review of electronic health records. Preclinical CVD was measured using EndoPAT 2000 to calculate reactive hyperemic index (RHI). RHI ≤1.67 indicates endothelial dysfunction. Mean estradiol levels in women with FHA, as compared with eumenorrheic controls and recently menopausal women, were 29.0 ± 18.1, 46.4 ± 15.7, and 10.9 ± 14.4 pg/mL (P < .0001), respectively. Women with FHA had lower insulin (P = .0095) and higher cortisol (P = .0004) compared with controls. RHI was significantly lower in women with FHA compared with eumenorrheic controls and recently menopausal women (1.8 ± 0.5 vs 2.2 ± 0.5 vs 2.2 ± 0.6, respectively; P = .008), and 35% of women with FHA had RHI ≤1.67, consistent with endothelial dysfunction. These results demonstrate endothelial dysfunction in 1 out of 3 young women with FHA. FHA may be a contributor to preclinical CVD, and it is not explained by hypoestrogenemia alone.

Cardiometabolic Risk and Cardiovascular Disease in Young Women With Uterine Fibroids.

Uterine fibroids are associated with hypertension and cardiometabolic risk factors, yet the onset and severity of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women with fibroids remain understudied. We used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to assess the association between uterine fibroids, cardiometabolic risk, and CVD (ischemic heart disease, heart failure, and stroke). Among 5,552 women aged 20-54 years in our sample. Hypertension was more common in those diagnosed with fibroids (n=700; 33.4% vs. 15.3% in controls, p<0.001), but these women were also older (44 (SD=7) years vs. 35 (SD=10) years). When stratified by median age, women aged 35 or younger with fibroids (n=97) were more likely than controls (n=2771) to have hypertension (14.1% vs. 2.4%), obesity (51.5% vs. 32.5%), and diabetes mellitus (4.8% vs. 1.9%). Women older than 35 with fibroids also had higher cardiometabolic risk and rates of CVD than controls (8.5% vs. 4.5%). The odds ratio of CVD in women with fibroids, compared to the controls, was 3.10 with 95% confidence interval (CI) of 2.21 to 4.34. The odds ratio decreased to 1.63 (95%CI: 1.11 to 2.38) after adjusting for age, BMI, African ancestry, fasting plasma glucose, cholesterol, education, smoking history, and postmenopausal status and to 1.60 (95%CI: 1.08 to 2.37) after further adjusting for systolic blood pressure. These data indicate that uterine fibroids are associated with a worse cardiovascular risk profile, including hypertension, in relatively young women, leading to early CVD. A women-specific research agenda is urgently needed to study the nature of these associations and design preventive strategies to prevent cardiovascular events in young women with fibroids.

Abstract P094: Awareness Of Cardiovascular Disease Is Low Among Young Women And Varies By Region

Background: Prior research has shown that awareness of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and its risk factors is low among young women. The present study used preliminary data to compare the awareness of CVD in young women seen in primary care clinics in the Northeastern and Southeastern United States. Methods: We recruited 370 females ages 15-24 years from two primary care clinics located in Boston, MA (n=331) and Atlanta, GA (n=39). Recruitment in Atlanta, GA is ongoing. Participants completed a modified version of the AHA Women’s Health Survey. We examined the relationship between location and 1) knowledge about CVD and 2) engagement in preventive behaviors, while controlling for race/ethnicity, age group, and primary caregiver education. Results: Sixty-two percent (n=23) of young women in Atlanta reported feeling informed about CVD, while 53% (n=163) of young women in Boston reported feeling informed about CVD. Only 13% (n=34) of participants in Boston and 6% (n=2) of participants in Atlanta correctly identified CVD as the leading cause of death for women. Participants in Atlanta were less likely to report engagement in CVD preventive behaviors such as exercising (OR: 0.32, 95% CI: 0.12, 0.91), maintaining a healthy cholesterol (OR: 0.13, 95% CI: 0.04, 0.50) or blood pressure level (OR: 0.24, 95% CI: 0.08, 0.74), and reducing sugar in their diet (OR: 0.33, 95% CI: 0.12, 0.91). Moreover, young women in Atlanta were more than twice as likely to report having never discussed CVD-related health topics such as family history of CVD, blood pressure, and cholesterol with their health care provider (OR: 2.46, 95% CI: 0.86, 7.02). Conclusion: CVD awareness is low among young women and varies by region. Despite living in a region where CVD is highly prevalent, young women in Atlanta were less likely to engage in preventive behaviors and less likely to discuss CVD-related topics with their health care provider. In this region where cardiovascular health disparities are common, opportunities remain to promote heart healthy behavior among young women to reduce CVD risk.

Health behaviour of women with Turner Syndrome.

AimThis study assessed lifestyle‐related risk factors for cardiovascular disease in young women with Turner syndrome.MethodsIn 2012, we sent a questionnaire to women with Turner syndrome aged ≥18 years and living in Switzerland with questions on socio‐demographic and medical data as well as health behaviour. We compared the reported lifestyle with that of women from the Swiss Health Survey 2012, a representative survey of the general population.ResultsFifty‐seven per cent (45/79) of women with Turner syndrome answered the questionnaire (mean age: 24 years). Eighty per cent (36/45) had never smoked compared with 58% (1156/1972) of the general population (p < 0.01). Women with Turner syndrome engaged less often in binge drinking (34% vs. 71%) (p < 0.001), but consumed alcohol equally often as the general population (p = 0.327). They performed sports as often as the general population (p = 0.34), but only one quarter (11/45) of women with Turner syndrome adhered to official physical activity recommendations.ConclusionAlthough most women with Turner syndrome had a healthy lifestyle, only a minority had sufficient physical activity. Paediatricians should promote structured physical activity in girls with Turner syndrome from early childhood onwards to reduce their cardiovascular risk in adulthood and to increase long‐term health‐related quality of life.

SUN-105 Females Have Reduced Meta-Inflammation in Two States of Increased Adiposity, Obesity, and Aging

Obesity is a global health epidemic, closely associated with cardiovascular diseases (CVD), hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and atherosclerosis. Obese adipose tissue is a site and source for inflammation that is strongly associated with these metabolic diseases. In obese mice models, males exhibit profound adipose tissue macrophage (ATM) accumulation in gonadal white adipose tissue (GWAT) linked to insulin resistance, while females are protected even with enhanced adiposity. This dampened inflammation may directly explain reduced metabolic and cardiovascular disease in young women. However, it is not clear what metabolic and inflammatory responses occur in post-menopausal models. We hypothesized an increased inflammatory response would occur in obese older females. We challenged male and female C57Bl6/j mice to 16-24 weeks of 60% high fat diet (HFD) starting at 6 weeks of age (young) or 10 month of age (old). Animal body weights and metabolic depot (adipose and liver) weights were measured at the completion of diet challenge. Flow cytometry was used to determine ATM populations in visceral (GWAT) compared to subcutaneous inguinal WAT (IWAT). Lipolysis was stimulated with a beta3 adrenergic receptor (ADRB3) agonist CL-316, 243 and free fatty acids (FFA), glycerol, and triglyceride (TG) levels assessed in serum and liver. Obesity in young mice led to fat accumulation in GWAT and IWAT of both males and females. In old male animals, fat pads did not expand, and liver weights were as a result larger than in females. Both young and old females had reduced adipose inflammation compared to males. ADRB3 activation had no effect on adipose tissue weights but significantly increased liver weights in obese young females. Obese CL treated young and old female mice showed elevated FFA compared to levels induced in males. Lipolysis promoted appearance of crown like structures (CLS) in both obese young and old males and females, due to CD11c- ATM accumulation. Obesity during aging continues to lead to enhanced inflammation in males along with steatosis but females continue to be protected with appropriate storage of fatty acids with very little induced inflammation. Sex differences in inflammation that persist in aging demonstrate that differences in meta-inflammation may explain sex differences in metabolic and cardiovascular diseases regardless of age and need to be further explored for targeted treatment strategies.

Emerging misunderstood presentations of cardiovascular disease in young women.

BackgroundCardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death for females in the United States accounting for over 412 000 female deaths in 2016. CVD mortality in young women <55 years old remains significantly high and greater than that in men.HypothesisThere is a void with regards to awareness of CVD in women. Many traditional CVD risk estimate tools fail to identify the “at risk” female and is true for the young female patient. There needs to be a shift in focus from looking for the vulnerable plaque to looking for the “at risk” patient.MethodsThis review outlines the emerging misunderstood presentations of CVD in young women which include certain categories of myocardial infarction (MI) with non‐obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA), such as spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), as well as the more stable myocardial ischemia with non‐obstructive coronary arteries (INOCA) category focusing on mental stress‐induced myocardial ischemia (MSIMI).ResultsThe prevalence of MINOCA in patients presenting with MI is greater in women. In younger women with CVD, SCAD is an emerging misunderstood presentation in this group of patients with type 2 SCAD being the most common form. MSIMI, a form of INOCA, is more common in women with CVD.ConclusionsThere are emerging misunderstood factors that are prevalent in young women, such as SCAD and MSIMI. It is important to recognize their presentations in young women to prevent misdiagnosis, missed diagnosis as well as mismanagement of these patients to improve their clinical outcomes.

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

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 young women with overweight and obesity has been infrequently evaluated. Reproductive histories were obtained in 191 (66%) young women with overweight and obesity (BMI 25-39.9 kg/m(2) ) 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. Nulliparous women (n = 70, age 34.9 ± 7.1) had increased common carotid IAD (0.230 mm, SE 0.08, P = 0.003) and mean common carotid artery (CCA) IMT (0.031 mm, SE 0.01, P = 0.007) 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. Nulliparity is associated with markers of less healthy carotid arteries in a sample of disease-free 25- to 45-year-old women with overweight or obesity. This may represent a beneficial effect of pregnancy or indicate overall better health in women with overweight/obesity who are capable of childbearing.

Cardiovascular disease among women with and without diabetes mellitus and bilateral oophorectomy

AimsWomen with type-2 diabetes (DM2) are at high risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) which may be partly due to increased ovarian androgen production. Since the association of bilateral oophorectomy (BSO) with CVD remains controversial, we evaluated whether BSO is inversely associated with CVD among DM2. MethodsData were obtained from a national sample of 9599 postmenopausal women. Adjusted estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using logistic and Cox regression. ResultsAt baseline 2426 women had type-2 diabetes, of whom 580 had BSO. DM2 had adverse CVD risk profiles compared to women without diabetes, as did women with BSO with or without diabetes compared to those with intact ovaries. In DM2, BSO was positively associated with prevalent CVD (odds ratio: 1.63, 95%CI: 1.16–2.30). However, the higher odds were limited to women who had BSO before age 45 years (OR: 2.11, CI: 1.45–3.08). During a mean follow-up of 12.7 years, BSO in DM2 was positively associated with CVD mortality (hazard ratio: 2.23, CI: 1.25–3.99). Among women with BSO, those with family members who had MI before age 50 had elevated odds of CVD (OR: 2.29, CI: 1.56–3.37) compared to those without such family history (OR: 0.90, CI: 0.67–1.20), Pinteraction=0.04. ConclusionsThe risk of CVD is increased not decreased with BSO in DM2. Further, we propose that the association of BSO and CVD in young women with diabetes may partly reflect genetic susceptibility to CVD rather than an effect of ovarian hormones.

Reflex syncope, anxiety level, and family history of cardiovascular disease in young women: case-control study.

Anxiety is an emotion, which stimulates sympathetic nervous outflow potentially facilitating vasovagal reflex syncope (VVS) but reports on anxiety levels in patients with VVS are sparse. We studied anxiety levels in young women (21-40 years) referred for unexplained transient loss of consciousness (TLOC), and age-matched female controls with or without past history of TLOC (≈probable VVS). Referred patients underwent head-up tilt (HUT) according to current ESC Guidelines. State and Trait Anxiety Inventory questionnaire evaluated anxiety levels plus a questionnaire explored risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Sixty-five of 91 women were diagnosed with VVS on HUT. Among 549 controls, 223 (40.6%) reported at least one episode of TLOC. State-anxiety level in patients with VVS undergoing HUT (42.4 ± 9.3) was higher compared with both controls with (38.3 ± 10.2; P < 0.01) and without past TLOC history (35.9 ± 9.8; P < 0.001). Trait anxiety in patients with VVS (42.7 ± 8.4), and controls with TLOC history (42.4 ± 8.4) was higher compared with controls without TLOC history (39.7 ± 8.5; P < 0.01). In the logistic regression using controls without TLOC as reference, both VVS diagnosis and past history of TLOC were associated with family history of CVD [odds ratio (OR) 2.4, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.3-4.4; P = 0.007, and 2.3, 1.4-3.6; P = 0.001, respectively], and this association was independent of anxiety level. Trait anxiety and family history of CVD are increased in both young women with VVS and controls with history of TLOC. However, the height of anxiety level does not explain CVD heredity and other mechanisms may link syncope with CVD.

Central arterial stiffness and diastolic dysfunction are associated with insulin resistance and abdominal obesity in young women but polycystic ovary syndrome does not confer additional risk.

Are arterial stiffness, carotid intima-media thickness and diastolic dysfunction increased in young women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) independently of the effects of obesity? Insulin resistance and central obesity are associated with subclinical cardiovascular dysfunction in young women, but a diagnosis of PCOS does not appear to confer additional risk at this age. Some studies have shown that young women with PCOS may have increased measures of cardiovascular risk, including arterial stiffness, carotid intima-media thickness and myocardial dysfunction. However, it is difficult to establish how much of this risk is due to PCOS per se and how much is due to obesity and insulin resistance, which are common in PCOS and themselves associated with greater vascular risk. This cross-sectional study comprised 84 women with PCOS and 95 healthy volunteers, aged 16-45 years. The study was conducted in a university hospital. Subjects underwent a comprehensive assessment of body composition (including computed tomography (CT) assessment of visceral fat; VF), measurements of arterial stiffness (aortic pulse wave velocity; aPWV), common carotid intima-media thickness (ccIMT), diastolic function (longitudinal tissue velocity; e':a') and endocrinological measures. A sample size of 80 in each group gave 80% power for detecting a difference of 0.45 m/s in aPWV or a difference of 0.25 in e':a'. After adjustment for age and body mass index (BMI), PCOS subjects had a greater insulin response (insulin area under the curve-IAUC) following glucose challenge (adjusted difference [AD] 35 900 pmol min/l, P < 0.001) and higher testosterone (AD 0.57 nmol/l, P < 0.001) and high molecular weight adiponectin than controls (AD 3.01 µg/ml, P = 0.02), but no significant differences in aPWV (AD -0.13 m/s, P = 0.33), ccIMT (AD -0.01 mm, P = 0.13), or e':a' (AD -0.01, P = 0.86) were observed. After adjustment for age, height and central pulse pressure, e':a' and aPWV were associated with logVF and IAUC. ccIMT was not related to logVF. The relationships between e':a' or aPWV and insulin resistance were only partly attenuated by adjusting for logVF. There was no significant relationship between aPWV or e':a' and either testosterone or adiponectin. The study recruited young women meeting the Rotterdam criteria for PCOS diagnosis; hence our findings may not be generalizable to older patients or those meeting other definitions of the syndrome. Biochemical hyperandrogenism was based solely on measurement of total testosterone. Cases and controls were not matched in advance for age and BMI, although the influence of these variables on the cardiovascular outcome measures was adjusted for. This study shows that central arterial stiffness and diastolic dysfunction are not increased in young women with PCOS, whereas they are associated with both insulin resistance and central obesity. Obesity thus represents the greatest modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease in young women with PCOS and lifestyle measures which target weight reduction are critical. This study received no specific grant support from any funding body. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Is Cardiovascular Disease in Young Women Overlooked?

Is Cardiovascular Disease in Young Women Overlooked?

Cardiovascular Disease in Young Women

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is a leading cause of morbidity in the United States and worldwide. In women, it is the leading cause of death in all age groups except young women who rarely have clinically evident disease. However, when young women less than age 50 develop IHD, they are at high risk for mortality. This may be due in part to delay in diagnosis or less aggressive treatment. Young women may be less aggressively treated with medical therapies and percutaneous or surgical interventions despite studies that have shown benefit in women as well as men. Young women are an especially important population to target for treatment and study since prevention of IHD during this stage of life can have great personal and societal health consequences. Epidemiological studies, including the INTERHEART study, have identified risk factors including hypertension, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, smoking, and sedentary lifestyle that explain much of IHD in women. Several factors, including diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and tobacco use, are stronger predictors of IHD in young women as compared with older women. Healthcare practitioners who encounter young women should aggressively treat risk factors, maintain an appropriate index of suspicion for IHD, and treat acute coronary syndromes promptly and intensively to reduce the burden of IHD in young women.

Disparities in vascular surgery: Is it biology or environment?

Disparities in health care are well documented for several racial, ethnic, and gender groups. In peripheral arterial disease, differences in prevalence, treatment selection, treatment outcomes, and resulting quality of life have negative effects on some minority groups and women. It may be easy to document disparities, but it is harder to understand their underlying causes. Are there biologic differences between members of racial and ethnic groups that influence disease presentation and outcomes? Or is the socioeconomic environment that surrounds them the true driver of observed differences? This article reviews the evidence for racial and gender disparities in vascular surgery and presents some potential mechanisms that may explain the disparities.

Glucose Tolerance Status in Pregnancy: A Window to the Future Risk of Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease in Young Women

It has long been recognized that the diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) identifies a population of young women at high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in the future. In recent years, however, a series of studies have revealed that antepartum glucose tolerance screening, a standard element of current obstetrical care instituted for the purpose of detecting GDM, may provide previously-unrecognized insight into a woman's future risk of metabolic and vascular disease. Indeed, it has emerged that in fact any degree of abnormal glucose tolerance detected on antepartum screening (i.e. not just GDM) predicts an increased future risk of pre-diabetes and diabetes, one that is proportional to the severity of dysglycemia observed in pregnancy. In addition, in the years following the index pregnancy, women with a history of GDM exhibit an enhanced cardiovascular risk profile and ultimately an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD), risks that may similarly extend to women with milder gestational glucose intolerance as well. Thus, by providing a unique window to a woman's risk potential for future metabolic and vascular disease, glucose tolerance testing in pregnancy, as currently practiced, may offer an opportunity for the early identification of high-risk individuals prior to the onset of clinical disease. Ultimately, the insight so derived may inform strategies for postpartum surveillance, risk factor modification, and disease prevention that may eventually lead to a reduction in the burden of T2DM and CVD in women.

Glucose Tolerance Status in Pregnancy: A Window to the Future Risk of Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease in Young Women

Glucose Tolerance Status in Pregnancy: A Window to the Future Risk of Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease in Young Women

Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Young Women Following Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

OBJECTIVE—To determine whether women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) following pregnancy.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—All women aged 20–49 years with live births between April 1994 and March 1997 in Ontario, Canada, were identified. Women with GDM were matched with 10 women without GDM and were followed for CVD.RESULTS—The matched cohorts included 8,191 women with GDM and 81,262 women without GDM. Mean age at entry was 31 years, and median follow-up was 11.5 years. The hazard ratio for CVD events was 1.71 (95% CI 1.08–2.69). After adjustment for subsequent type 2 diabetes, the hazard ratio was attenuated (1.13 [95% CI 0.67–1.89]).CONCLUSIONS—Young women with GDM had a substantially increased risk for CVD compared with women without GDM. Much of this increased risk was attributable to subsequent development of type 2 diabetes.

Premature cardiovascular disease in young women with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia

Heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia is associated with elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and the development of premature cardiovascular disease. Despite this general statement, data regarding the incidence of cardiovascular disease in young women with familial hypercholesterolemia are lacking. In this review, information of age-specific incidence, risk factors and therapeutic avenues in women with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia are discussed.

Cardiovascular and thromboembolic events following hypertensive pregnancy

Background: Hypertension is a common complication of pregnancy. Previous evidence has linked pregnancy-related hypertension to maternal cardiovascular disease. We conducted a population-based cohort study to estimate the risks for cardiovascular and thromboembolic events in women with pregnancy-related hypertension. Methods: We analyzed data from all singleton births recorded in Washington State from 1987 to 1998. Mothers were classified as having gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, or chronic hypertension based on hospital discharge and birth record information. Birth records were linked to subsequent hospitalizations within Washington State. Proportional hazards models were used to estimate the relationship between each form of pregnancy-related hypertension and subsequent risk for cardiovascular and thromboembolic events. Results: We identified 31,239 eligible hypertensive pregnancies from 807,010 births. During follow-up, there were 118 hospitalizations for a first acute cardiovascular event and 172 hospitalizations for a first thromboembolic event. Gestational hypertension, mild preeclampsia, and severe preeclampsia were associated with 2.8-fold (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.6 to 4.8), 2.2-fold (95% CI, 1.3 to 3.6), and 3.3-fold (95% CI, 1.7 to 6.5) greater risks for cardiovascular events, respectively. Severe preeclampsia was associated with a 2.3-fold (95% CI, 1.3 to 4.2) greater risk for thromboembolic events. Conclusion: Preeclampsia and gestational hypertension are associated with increased risk for cardiovascular events. Pregnancy-induced hypertension appears to be an important risk factor for the development of future cardiovascular disease in young women.

Can cardiovascular risk factors explain the association between education and cardiovascular disease in young women?

We sought to explain the observed variation in the relationship between education and cardiovascular disease (CVD) among young women in countries at different stages of economic development. Data comprised 2,478 cases of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) or stroke and 6,819 age-matched controls from Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America. The risks of AMI associated with lower education observed in Eastern Europe and higher education in non-European countries were reduced by 92% in Eastern Europe and totally abolished in non-European countries by adjustment for standard cardiovascular risk factors. The inverse associations between education and stroke risk in the three non-African regions were attenuated by 22, 47, and 60% after adjustment. In Africa, the slight inconsistent trend towards lower stroke risk in less well educated women was unaffected by adjustment. These data suggest that standard risk factors explain a substantial proportion if not all of the difference in AMI risk associated with education but a lesser proportion of educationally linked stroke risk.