title: Absence of cardiovascular effects on young adults exposed in utero to ritodrine: a long-term follow-up.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine, using echocardiographs, if young adults exposed in uterus to Ritodrine have long-term cardiovascular effects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective follow-up study. Young adults between the ages of 22- and 26-years-old. Young adults (n=19) exposed in uterus to Ritodrine and age-matched controls (n=27) were studied by means of transthoracic echocardiography. All participants were born following full-term pregnancies. Subgroups of those subjects exposed to the highest dose of Ritodrine and for the longest period of time were established. A multivariate descriptive statistical analysis of the values obtained using transthoracic echocardiography was performed. Echocardiography measurements in M-mode included intraventricular septum and posterior wall thickness, systolic and diastolic diameter of the left ventricle, septum/wall quotient, left ventricle mass and short and ejection fractions. Doppler pressed: E and A peaks in the mitral valve and isovolumetric relaxation time were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mass, posterior wall, systolic diameter and the diastolic diameter of the left ventricle were slightly, but not significantly, higher in the Ritodrine group. The E/A peak and the isovolumetric relaxation time were similar in both groups. A negative correlation between the left ventricle mass index and the total Ritodrine dose (r=-0.67; p=0.051) was found; this disappeared in the subgroups exposed to higher doses and for longer times.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The variables studied using echocardiography showed that in uterus exposure to Ritodrine do not have long-term effects on cardiac functionality in young adults.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Juan Canalejo University Hospital Complex, Teresa Herrera Maternity and Children's Hospital, La Coruña, Spain. malvseo@canalejo.org
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alvarez-Seoane
authors.forename: Salvador
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pita-Fernández
authors.forename: M Begoña
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Cid
authors.forename: Constancio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Medrano-Lopez
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rueda-Nuñez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects*; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012312:Ritodrine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015149:Tocolytic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015149:Tocolytic Agents; D012312:Ritodrine