Delivery may affect arterial elasticity in women.
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.
Hashimoto
Masayoshi
M
Department of General Internal Medicine, Kobe University School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan. mikejpn@med.kobe-u.ac.jp
Miyamoto
Yoshitomo
Y
Iwai
Chikao
C
Matsuda
Yasuaki
Y
Hiraoka
Eiji
E
Kanazawa
Kenji
K
Nishimura
Kunihiro
K
Sugiyama
Daisuke
D
Ito
Kazuo
K
Yamori
Yukio
Y
Akita
Hozuka
H
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
D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D004967:Estrogens