| 1. |
- Akhter, Tansim, 1967-, et al.
(author)
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Artery Wall Layer Dimensions during Normal Pregnancy : A longitudinal study using non-invasive high-frequency ultrasound
- 2013
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In: American Journal of Physiology. Heart and Circulatory Physiology. - : American Physiological Society. - 0363-6135 .- 1522-1539. ; 304:2, s. H229-H234
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The vascular effects of normal pregnancy were investigated by estimating the intima and media thicknesses of the common carotid artery separately using 22MHz ultrasound (Collagenoson, Meudt, Germany) in 57 healthy women with normal pregnancies and pregnancy outcomes, in all three trimesters and at one year postpartum. A thick intima, thin media and high intima/media (I/M) ratio are signs of a less healthy artery wall. The mean artery wall layer dimensions remained fairly constant during pregnancy but the intima thickness and I/M thickness ratio appeared to improve (decrease) postpartum (p<0.001 for both). The cardiovascular risk parameters age, body mass index (BMI), and blood pressure in the first trimester were associated with higher I/M ratios, especially in the second trimester, whereas higher serum estradiol levels were significantly associated with a lower I/M ratio. Changes from the first to second trimesters in I/M ratio, taking into account differential changes in intima and media thickness, were significantly (p<0.05-0.001) associated with all risk parameters tested except age, which was associated with increased intima thickness (p=0.02). Associations with third trimester values and changes from first to third trimesters were similar but less apparent. Thus, fairly constant mean artery wall layer dimensions during pregnancy appeared to improve postpartum. However, higher age, BMI or blood pressure, and lower serum estradiol levels in the first trimester appeared to negatively affect the artery wall, strongly suggesting that pregnancy has negative vascular effects in some women. A less likely explanation involves possible adaptation to physiological changes during and after pregnancy.
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| 2. |
- Akhter, Tansim, 1967-
(author)
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Carotid Artery Wall Layer Dimensions during and after Pre-eclampsia : An investigation using non-invasive high-frequency ultrasound
- 2013
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Pre-eclampsia is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) later in life. The ‘gold standard’ for estimating cardiovascular risk - ultrasound assessment of the common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT) - does not convincingly demonstrate this increased risk. The aim of this thesis was to examine whether high-frequency (22 MHz) ultrasound assessment of the individual CCA intima and media layers and calculation of the intima/media (I/M) ratio - can indicate the increased cardiovascular risk after pre-eclampsia. After validation of the method in premenopausal women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who have a recognized increased risk of CVD, women during and after normal and preeclamptic pregnancies were investigated.Assessment of the individual artery wall layers reliably demonstrated the increased cardiovascular risk in premenopausal women with SLE, while CCA-IMT did not. The artery wall layer dimensions in women with SLE were comparable to those of postmenopausal women without SLE and were 30 years older.Among the women with normal pregnancies negative changes to the artery wall later on in the pregnancy were seen in those with lower serum estradiol, older age, higher body mass index or higher blood pressure early in the pregnancy. About one year postpartum, both the mean intima thickness and the I/M ratio had improved, compared to values during pregnancy. These findings support the theory that normal pregnancy is a stress on the vascular system.Women who developed pre-eclampsia (mean age 31 years) had thicker intima layers, thinner media layers and higher I/M ratios, both at diagnosis and one year postpartum, than women with normal pregnancies, indicating increased cardiovascular risk.Women with a history of severe pre-eclampsia (mean age 44 years; mean 11 years since the last delivery) had thicker intima layers and higher I/M ratios than women with a history of normal pregnancies, indicating long-standing negative vascular effects.Assessment of individual CCA wall layers, but not of CCA-IMT, provided clear evidence of the well-known increased cardiovascular risk in women with SLE or pre-eclampsia. The method has the potential to become an important tool in reducing cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in these women through early diagnosis and intervention.
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| 3. |
- Akhter, Tansim, et al.
(author)
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Changes in the Artery Wall Layer Dimensions in Women with Preeclampsia : an investigation using non-invasive high frequency ultrasound
- 2012
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In: Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica. - 0001-6349 .- 1600-0412. ; 91:S159, s. 28-28
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Journal article (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Background:Preeclampsia (PE) is associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease later in life. Whether, the artery wall layer dimensions differ between PE and normal pregnancy is unclear. The aim of this study was to estimate if women with PE have different common carotid artery wall layer dimensions than women with normal pregnancy, both during pregnancy and about one year postpartum.Methods:By using high-frequency (22MHz) ultrasound (Collagenoson, Meudt, Germany) separate estimates of the common carotid artery intima and media layers were obtained and the I/M ratio was calculated in women with PE (n=55 during pregnancy and n=48 at postpartum) and with normal pregnancy (n=65 during pregnancy and n=59 at postpartum). Thick intima, thin media and a high intima/media ratio are signs of less healthy artery wall and vice versa.Results:In women with PE, the intima was thicker (0.18 } 0.03 vs. 0.11 } 0.02; p < .001), the media was thinner (0.47 } 0.12 vs. 0.55 } 0.14; p = .001) and the I/M ratio was higher (0.41 } 0.14 vs. 0.20 } 0.05; p < .001) compared to women with normal pregnancy. Further, for changes from pregnancy to postpartum, both for PE and normal pregnancy, the intima and the I/M ratio had improved but still significantly higher in women with PE than in women with normal pregnancy.Conclusion:In women with PE, we found a thicker intima, thinner media and a higher I/M ratio compared to women with normal pregnancy, indicating a more negatively affected artery wall layer dimensions. Persisting negative effects of PE on artery wall at postpartum, despite improvement of artery wall layers compared to values during pregnancy, indicates a permanent damage of the vascular system in this group of women.
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| 4. |
- Akhter, Tansim, 1967-, et al.
(author)
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Individual Common Carotid Artery Wall Layer Dimensions, but Not Carotid Intima-Media Thickness, Indicate Increased Cardiovascular Risk in Women With Preeclampsia : An investigation using non-invasive high-frequency ultrasound
- 2013
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In: Circulation Cardiovascular Imaging. - 1941-9651 .- 1942-0080. ; 6:5, s. 762-768
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background Preeclampsia (PE) is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease later in life. Ultrasound assessment of the common carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) during or after PE has not indicated any increased cardiovascular risk. Methods and Results We used high-frequency ultrasound (22 MHz) to estimate the individual common carotid artery IMTs in 55 women at PE diagnosis and in 64 women with normal pregnancies at a similar stage. All were re-examined about 1 year postpartum. A thick intima, thin media, and high intima/media (I/M) ratio are signs of a less healthy artery wall. PE was associated with a significantly thicker mean common carotid artery intima, thinner media, and higher I/M ratio than in normal pregnancy (mean I/M difference, 0.21; 95% confidence interval, 0.17-0.25; P<0.0001). After adjustment for first trimester body mass index and mean arterial pressure, differences in intima thickness and I/M remained significant. About 1 year postpartum, these values had improved in both groups, but group differences remained significant (all adjusted P<0.0001). There were no significant differences in IMT between groups. In receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis, intima thickness and I/M were strongly predictive of prevalent PE (area under the curve, approximate to 0.95), whereas IMT was not (area under the curve, 0.49). Conclusions The arteries of women with PE were negatively affected during pregnancy and 1 year postpartum compared with women with normal pregnancies, indicating increased cardiovascular risk. Estimation of intima thickness and I/M ratio seem preferable to estimation of common carotid artery IMT in imaging cardiovascular risk in PE. Results from this pilot study warrant further confirmation.
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| 5. |
- Akhter, Tansim, 1967-, et al.
(author)
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Thicknesses of individual layers of artery wall indicate increased cardiovascular risk in severe pre-eclampsia
- 2014
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In: Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0960-7692 .- 1469-0705. ; 43:6, s. 675-680
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: Pre-eclampsia, especially severe pre-eclampsia, is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease later in life. However, ultrasound assessments of the common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT) do not convincingly demonstrate this. The aim of this study was to assess whether the individual thickness of the CCA intima and media layers and calculation of intima/media ratio (I/M) indicate an increased cardiovascular risk in women with previous severe pre-eclampsia.METHODS: The thicknesses of the CCA intima and media layers were obtained by non-invasive high-frequency ultrasound (22 MHz) in 42 women with previous severe pre-eclampsia and 44 women with previous normal pregnancies. A thick intima, thin media and high I/M are signs of a less healthy artery wall.RESULTS: Women with previous severe pre-eclampsia had a thicker CCA intima and a higher I/M than women with previous normal pregnancies, also after adjustment for mean arterial pressure, body mass index and CCA-IMT (all p < 0.0001). CCA-IMT did not differ significantly between the groups. In receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, intima thickness and I/M clearly discriminated between women with and without previous pre-eclampsia (c value about 0.95), whereas CCA-IMT did not (c = 0.52).CONCLUSIONS: Estimation of the individual CCA intima and media layers using high-frequency ultrasound and calculation of the I/M clearly demonstrated the well known increased cardiovascular risk in women with pre-eclampsia, whereas CCA-IMT did not. This method appears preferable to measuring CCA-IMT for imaging arterial effects and the increased cardiovascular risk in women with previous severe pre-eclampsia.
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| 6. |
- Bergman, Lina, et al.
(author)
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Plasma Levels of S100B in Preeclampsia and Association With Possible Central Nervous System Effects
- 2014
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In: American Journal of Hypertension. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0895-7061 .- 1941-7225. ; 27:8, s. 1105-1111
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND:S100B is supposed to be a peripheral biomarker of central nervous system (CNS) injury. The purpose of this study was to compare levels of S100B in women with preeclampsia with levels in healthy pregnant control subjects and furthermore to analyze levels of S100B in relation to possible CNS effects.METHODS:A cross-sectional case-control study in antenatal care centers in Uppsala, Sweden, was performed. Fifty-three women with preeclampsia and 58 healthy pregnant women were recruited at similar gestational length; women with preeclampsia were recruited at time of diagnosis, and control subjects were recruited during their routine visit to an antenatal clinic. Plasma samples were collected, and levels of S100B were analyzed with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Information about demographic and clinical characteristics, including symptoms related to CNS affection, was collected from the medical records. The main outcome measures were plasma levels of S100B and possible CNS effects.RESULTS:Levels of S100B were significantly higher among women with preeclampsia than among control subjects (0.12 µg/L vs. 0.07 µg/L; P < 0.001). In preeclampsia, there was a significant association between high levels of S100B and visual disturbances (P < 0.05).CONCLUSIONS:S100B is increased among women with preeclampsia, and high levels of S100B associate with visual disturbances, which might reflect CNS affection in women with preeclampsia.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Bohman, Hannes, 1965-, et al.
(author)
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Thicker carotid intima layer, thinner media layer and higher intima/media ratio in women with recurrent depressive disorders : a pilot study using non-invasive high frequency ultrasound
- 2010
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In: World Journal of Biological Psychiatry. - : Informa Healthcare. - 1562-2975 .- 1814-1412. ; 11:1, s. 71-75
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background. Growing evidence indicates that depression is an important risk factor for coronary heart disease. Thus, the aim of the present study has been to investigate if young women with adolescent onset and recurrent depressive disorders have signs of carotid intima and media changes already at the age of 30. Methods. Fifteen subjects with adolescent onset recurrent depressive disorders, mean age 31.5 years, were compared to 20 healthy women with a mean age of 39.6 years. The thickness of carotid artery intima and media was assessed, using non-invasive high-frequency ultrasound (25MHz). Results. The subjects with recurrent depressive disorders had significantly thicker carotid intima, significantly thinner carotid media and significantly higher intima/media ratio despite the fact that they were about 10 years younger than the healthy women. Hypertension, obesity or smoking could not explain the results. Conclusion. Already at the age of 30, subjects with recurrent depressive disorders with adolescent onset do have early signs of carotid intima and media changes, indicating a less healthy artery wall, despite otherwise no clinical signs of cardiovascular disease.
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| 9. |
- Eriksson, Olle, 1954-, et al.
(author)
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Ovarian morphology in premenstrual dysphoria
- 2012
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In: Psychoneuroendocrinology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0306-4530 .- 1873-3360. ; 37:6, s. 742-751
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Ovarian cyclicity is a prerequisite for premenstrual dysphoria (PMD), as illustrated by the fact that this condition is effectively eliminated by ovariectomy or by treatment with a GnRH agonist. Despite the possibility of differences in ovarian function between women with and without PMD, no study comparing ovarian morphology in these two groups has ever been published. Fifty-two women were recruited for this study; 26 had premenstrual dysphoria, fulfilling criteria slightly modified from those of the premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and 26 were asymptomatic age-matched controls. Ovarian morphology was assessed using transvaginal 7MHz ultrasonography on day 5 after the start of menses, and venous blood was sampled for hormone analysis on days 3 and 8, the expected day of ovulation, and day -4 of the menstrual cycle. There were no significant differences between the groups with respect to the prevalence of polycystic ovaries (PCO), the total number of follicles, the total ovarian volume or serum levels of androgen hormones. In addition, serum free testosterone levels in late premenstrual phase showed an inverse association to premenstrual symptoms of irritability and a similar inverse association trend to symptoms of depressed mood. Unexpectedly, the prevalence of ovaries with fewer than five antral or growing follicles was significantly higher in women with PMD than in controls (p=0.016). While the results do not support a role for PCO or androgen hormones in eliciting late luteal phase irritability, the possible relationship between oligofollicular ovaries and PMD deserves further study.
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| 10. |
- Frisk, Per, et al.
(author)
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Risk factors for cardiovascular disease are increased in young adults treated with stem cell transplantation during childhood
- 2012
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In: Pediatric Transplantation. - : Wiley. - 1397-3142 .- 1399-3046. ; 16:4, s. 385-391
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We measured risk factors for CVD in 18 patients at a median of 18.2 yr after SCT and in sex and age-matched controls. Three patients (17%), but none of the controls, met the criteria for the MetS (p = 0.25). In the patients, we found higher levels of triglycerides (0.94 vs. 0.62 mm, p = 0.019), total cholesterol (5.1 vs. 4.0 mm, p = 0.017), LDL (3.4 vs. 2.6 mm, p = 0.019), apolipoprotein B (1.04 vs. 0.74 g/L, p = 0.004), apolipoprotein B/A1 ratio (0.7 vs. 0.5, p = 0.026), and lower levels of adiponectin (4.9 vs. 7.5 mg/L, p = 0.008) than in the controls. The patients had a lower GHmax (9 vs. 20.7 mU/L, p = 0.002). GHmax was significantly correlated inversely with triglycerides (r = -0.64, p = 0.008), total cholesterol (r = -0.61, p = 0.011), apolipoprotein B (r = -0.60, p = 0.014), and apolipoprotein B/A1 ratio (r = -0.66, p = 0.005). We recorded a significantly thicker carotid intima layer among the patients than among matched controls (0.15 vs. 0.13 mm, p = 0.034). The level of adiponectin correlated inversely with carotid intima thickness (r = -0.55, p = 0.023). After SCT in childhood, long-term survivors may be at risk of developing premature CVD.
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