title: Carotid artery elasticity decreases during pregnancy - the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aims were to evaluate the effect of pregnancy on carotid artery elasticity and determine the associations between maternal lipids, endothelial function and arterial elasticity during pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined 99 pregnant and 99 matched non-pregnant control women as part of a population-based prospective cohort study. Carotid artery elasticity indexes; carotid artery distensibility (CAD), Young's elastic modulus (YEM) and stiffness index (SI) as well as brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) were assessed using ultrasound; serum lipid levels were also determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SI was 57% and YEM 75% higher and CAD 36% lower in the third trimester group than the corresponding values in the first trimester group. Serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels were significantly higher in women at the end of the pregnancy than at the beginning of pregnancy (P < 0.001) and in controls (P < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, gestational age was the only independent correlate of arterial elasticity in pregnant women. In controls, age (P ≤ 0.001) and common carotid diameter (P = 0.001-0.029) were associated with SI, YEM and CAD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study revealed that carotid artery elasticity declined towards the end of the pregnancy; this neither is straight correlating with maternal hyperlipidemia or the diameter of the carotid artery nor is it associated with changes in endothelial function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obst/Gyn, Kuopio University Hospital, University of Eastern Finland, P,O,B, 100FIN-70029 Kuopio, Finland. henna.karkkainen@kuh.fi.
authors.forename: Henna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kärkkäinen
authors.forename: Heli
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saarelainen
authors.forename: Pirjo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Valtonen
authors.forename: Tiina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Laitinen
authors.forename: Olli T
authors.initials: OT
authors.lastname: Raitakari
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Juonala
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kähönen
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hutri-Kähönen
authors.forename: Seppo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heinonen
authors.forename: Tomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Laitinen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography; D059289:Vascular Stiffness / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult