title: Delivery may affect arterial elasticity in women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Estrogen is considered to be cardioprotective, but estrogen replacement therapy for postmenopausal women has not shown results for either primary or secondary cardiovascular event prevention. During normal pregnancy, women have significantly higher levels of estrogen and it may be endogenous estrogen that helps prevent atherosclerosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The present cross-sectional study examined the association between pregnancy followed by delivery and clinical atherosclerosis using the brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (PWV). A total of 2,560 women undergoing annual health screening at the Institute of Hyogo Prefecture Health Promotion Association in Japan were recruited. Pregnancy history (the age of menarche/menopause and the number of gravida/para), conventional coronary risk factors, and brachial-ankle PWV were recorded. Multivariate linear regression by stepwise selection analysis demonstrated that women who had 1 or more deliveries had a significantly lower PWV, independent of age and other conventional coronary risk factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pregnancy followed by delivery may decrease arterial stiffness and prevent the progress of atherosclerosis in women. The contribution of such a pregnancy followed by delivery-related decrease in arterial stiffness to the reduction of cardiovascular disease in women should be further evaluated.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Internal Medicine, Kobe University School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan. mikejpn@med.kobe-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masayoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: Yoshitomo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
authors.forename: Chikao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Iwai
authors.forename: Yasuaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsuda
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hiraoka
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kanazawa
authors.forename: Kunihiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sugiyama
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamori
authors.forename: Hozuka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Akita
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001158:Arteries / Q000502:physiology*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004548:Elasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D020073:Gravidity / Q000502:physiology; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008572:Menarche / Q000502:physiology; D008593:Menopause / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010298:Parity / Q000502:physiology; D036801:Parturition; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000502:physiology*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D004967:Estrogens