Author Interviews, Heart Disease, OBGYNE / 18.07.2013

MedicalResearch.com Interview with Prof. Eyal Sheiner MD PhD Senior Obstetrician

Soroka Medical Center, Israel

MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Sheiner: The study was aimed to investigate whether a history of preterm delivery (PTD) poses a risk for subsequent maternal long-term cardiovascular morbidity. During the study period 47,908 women met the inclusion criteria; 12.5% (n=5992) patients delivered preterm. During a follow-up period of more than ten years, patients with PTD had higher rates of simple as well as complex cardiovascular events and higher rate of total cardiovascular related hospitalizations. A linear association was found between the number of previous PTD and future risk for cardiovascular hospitalizations (5.5% for two or more PTD, 5.0% for one PTD vs. 3.5% in the comparison group; P<0.001). The association remained significant for spontaneous vs. induced PTD and for early (<34 weeks) as well as late (34-36+6 weeks) PTD. In a Cox proportional hazards model that adjusted for pregnancy confounders such as labor induction, diabetes mellitus, preeclampsia and obesity, PTD was independently associated with cardiovascular hospitalizations (adjusted HR 1.4, 95% CI 1.2-1.6). (more…)
Author Interviews, Nutrition, OBGYNE, Race/Ethnic Diversity / 06.07.2013

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Lauren A. Wise Slone Epidemiology Center 1010 Commonwealth Avenue Boston, MA MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Wise: We found that the strong inverse association between dairy and uterine fibroids in black women in the Black Women's Health Study is not explained by percent European ancestry. (more…)
Anemia, Author Interviews, BMJ, OBGYNE, Pediatrics / 04.07.2013

MedicalResearch.com Interview with Batool Haider, MD, MS, DSc candidate Departments of Epidemiology and Nutrition School of Public Health Harvard University Anaemia, prenatal iron use, and risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes: systematic review and meta-analysis MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Haider: The main findings of the study are that iron use in the prenatal period increased maternal mean haemoglobin concentration by 4.59 (95% confidence interval 3.72 to 5.46) g/L compared with controls and significantly reduced the risk of anaemia (relative risk 0.50, 0.42 to 0.59), iron deficiency (0.59, 0.46 to 0.79), iron deficiency anaemia (0.40, 0.26 to 0.60), and low birth weight (0.81, 0.71 to 0.93). The effect of iron on preterm birth was not significant (relative risk 0.84, 0.68 to 1.03). Analysis of cohort studies showed a significantly higher risk of low birth weight (adjusted odds ratio 1.29, 1.09 to 1.53) and preterm birth (1.21, 1.13 to 1.30) with anaemia in the first or second trimester. Exposure-response analysis indicated that for every 10 mg increase in iron dose/day, up to 66 mg/day, the relative risk of maternal anaemia was 0.88 (0.84 to 0.92) (P for linear trend<0.001). Birth weight increased by 15.1 (6.0 to 24.2) g (P for linear trend=0.005) and risk of low birth weight decreased by 3% (relative risk 0.97, 0.95 to 0.98) for every 10 mg increase in dose/day (P for linear trend<0.001). Duration of use was not significantly associated with the outcomes after adjustment for dose. Furthermore, for each 1 g/L increase in mean haemoglobin, birth weight increased by 14.0 (6.8 to 21.8) g (P for linear trend=0.002); however, mean haemoglobin was not associated with the risk of low birth weight and preterm birth. No evidence of a significant effect on duration of gestation, small for gestational age births, and birth length was noted. (more…)
Author Interviews, Nutrition, OBGYNE, Pediatrics / 17.03.2013

MedicalResearch.com Interview with : Verena Sengpiel, researcher Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy University of Gothenburg MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Response: 1. Coffee, but not caffeine, consumption was associated with marginally increased gestational length but not with the risk of spontaneous preterm delivery. 2. Caffeine intake was consistently associated with decreased birth weight and increased odds of SGA (small for gestational age). This might have clinical implications as even caffeine consumption below the recommended maximum (200 mg/d in the Nordic countries and USA, 300 mg/d according to WHO) was associated with increased risk for SGA. (more…)