title: Cardiovascular risk factors in healthy women with previous small for gestational age infants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether healthy women with a previous pregnancy complicated by a small for gestational age (SGA) infant have normal endothelial function, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, and normal inflammation parameters.
  
  
  METHODS
  Brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation (FMD, endothelium-dependent) was measured in 16 subjects with previous SGA, and in 15 controls (CTR) with previous normal pregnancies. Lipid panel, glucose, insulin, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (s-ICAM), soluble vascular (s-VCAM-1) adhesion molecule-1 (s-VCAM-1), and androgens were also measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  FMD was reduced in women with previous SGA compared to controls (P < 0.0001). SGA women showed increased insulin resistance (P < 0.0001), s-ICAM-1 (P = 0.008), TNF-alpha (P = 0.02), testosterone (P = 0.03), and diastolic blood pressure (P = 0.01) than CTR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Endothelial dysfunction, reduced insulin sensitivity and subclinical inflammation are present in otherwise healthy women with previous SGA. These abnormalities show that the presence of a SGA infant in the obstetric history should be considered as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease later in life.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy. giancarlo.paradisi@tin.it
authors: Giancarlo
authors: G
authors: Paradisi
authors: Maria Vittoria
authors: MV
authors: Mattoli
authors: Claudia
authors: C
authors: Tomei
authors: Cecilia
authors: C
authors: Zuppi
authors: Paola
authors: P
authors: Lulli
authors: Lorena
authors: L
authors: Quagliozzi
authors: Alessandro
authors: A
authors: Caruso