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Objectives Pre-eclampsia (PE) is associated with both postpartum endothelial dysfunction and asymptomatic structural heart alterations consistent with heart failure stage B (HF-B). In this study we assessed the relation between endothelial function, by means of flow-mediated dilation (FMD), and HF-B at 4 years postpartum. Methods In 67 formerly PE women and 37 healthy parous controls, we ultrasonographically assessed cardiac function, geometry and FMD. HF-B was diagnosed as left ventricular hypertrophy (left ventricular mass index (LVMi) >95 g/m2), concentric remodelling (relative wall thickness (RWT) >0.42 and LVMi ≤95 g/m2), mild systolic dysfunction (left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) >40 and

Objectives Pre-eclampsia (PE) is associated with both postpartum endothelial dysfunction and asymptomatic structural heart alterations consistent with heart failure Stage B (HF-B). In this study, we assessed the relationship between endothelial function, measured by flow-mediated dilation (FMD), and HF-B in women with a history of PE. Methods This was an observational study in which 67 formerly pre-eclamptic women (>= 4 years postpartum) and 37 healthy parous controls were assessed ultrasonographically for cardiac function and geometry, as well as for endothelial function by means of brachial artery FMD. HF-B was diagnosed as left ventricular hypertrophy (left ventricular mass index (LVMi) > 95 g/m(2)), concentric remodeling (relative wall thickness> 0.42 and LVMi 40% and < 55%) or asymptomatic valvular disease. Cardiovascular and metabolic syndrome variables were compared between women with history of PE and controls, as well as between those in the formerly pre-eclamptic group who had HF Stage A, HF-B or no HF. Logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the associations of FMD with PE, metabolic syndrome risk factors and obstetric parameters. Results The prevalence of HF-B amongst formerly pre-eclamptic women was three-fold higher than that observed for controls (25% vs 8%, P < 0.05), while FMD was lower in formerly pre-eclamptic women compared with controls (6.12% vs 8.22%, P < 0.01); history of PE remained associated independently with lower FMD after adjusting for metabolic syndrome risk factors and obstetric parameters (beta, -1.88; 95% CI, -3.59 to -0.18). However, HF-B did not relate to low FMD in formerly pre-eclamptic women. Conclusions Years after pregnancy, formerly preeclamptic women have lower FMD and have HF-B more often compared with healthy parous controls. Nonetheless, HF-B was not related to reduced FMD. Copyright c (C) 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Objectives Pre-eclampsia (PE) is associated with both postpartum structural asymptomatic heart disease (i.e. heart failure Stage B (HF-B)) and conventional cardiovascular (CV) risk factors. We aimed to evaluate the extent to which PE, adjusted for conventional CV risk factors, is associated independently with asymptomatic cardiac abnormalities postpartum. Methods In this cross-sectional cohort study, 107 formerly pre-eclamptic women and 41 women with uneventful previous pregnancy (controls) were invited for CV risk assessment 4–10 years postpartum. This included cardiac ultrasound, blood pressure (BP) measurement and evaluation of metabolic syndrome determinants. Asymptomatic structural and functional cardiac abnormalities were classified as HF-B, according to the American Heart Association guidelines. Prehypertension was defined as systolic BP of 120–139 mmHg and/or diastolic BP of 80–89 mmHg. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to calculate associations of PE and conventional risk factors with HF-B. Results The prevalence of asymptomatic HF-B was approximately 3.5-fold higher in the PE group compared with controls (25% vs 7%, P < 0.01); 67% of this group had concentric remodeling and 22% had mildly impaired ejection fraction. After adjustment for postpartum interval, hypertension and high-density lipoprotein, PE was significantly associated with HF-B (adjusted odds ratio, 4.4 (95% CI, 1.0–19.1)). Moreover, in the formerly pre-eclamptic group, prehypertension was associated significantly with HF-B (odds ratio, 4.3 (95% CI, 1.4–12.7)), while metabolic syndrome determinants were not. Conclusion PE is associated with a four-fold increased female-specific risk of asymptomatic cardiac abnormalities. Prehypertension apparently increases this risk significantly, while metabolic syndrome determinants do not. Copyright © 2016 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Objectives After pre-eclampsia (PE), the prevalence of structural heart disease without symptoms, i.e. heart failure Stage B (HF-B), may be as high as one in four women in the first year postpartum. We hypothesize that a significant number of formerly pre-eclamptic women with HF-B postpartum are still in their resolving period and will not have HF-B during follow-up. Methods In this prospective longitudinal cohort study, we included 69 formerly pre-eclamptic women who underwent serial echocardiographic measurements at 1 and 4 years postpartum. HF-B was diagnosed as left ventricular hypertrophy (left ventricular mass index (LVMi) > 95 g/m2), concentric remodeling (relative wall thickness > 0.42 and LVMi ≤ 95 g/m2), mild systolic dysfunction (left ventricular ejection fraction > 40% and < 55%) or asymptomatic valvular disease. Women were subdivided and analyzed according to HF-B outcome: no HF-B at either visit; HF-B at first visit only; HF-B at second visit only; HF-B at both visits. Results The prevalence of HF-B in formerly pre-eclamptic women was 23% in the first year postpartum and 23% after 4 years. At the second visit, HF-B had resolved in 62.5% of affected women but was newly developed in 19% of initially unaffected women. At the first visit, 56% of women diagnosed with HF-B had reduced systolic function whereas at the second visit 69% of women with HF-B had concentric remodeling with mostly normal ejection fraction, consistent with diastolic dysfunction. Conclusions The prevalence of HF-B can be considered consistently high (1 in 4) amongst formerly pre-eclamptic women at follow-up. Nonetheless, at an individual level, more than 60% of women found initially to be affected by HF-B will recover, whilst about 20% of formerly pre-eclamptic women with normal echocardiography in the first year postpartum will develop HF-B over the following years. Copyright © 2016 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Contains fulltext : 154708.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) OBJECTIVE: To analyse the predicted 10- and 30-year risk scores for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients who experienced preeclampsia (PE) 5-10 years previously compared with healthy parous controls. DESIGN: Observational study. SETTING: Tertiary referral hospital in the Netherlands. POPULATION: One hundred and fifteen patients with a history of PE and 50 controls. PE patients were categorised into two groups, hypertensive (n = 21) and normotensive (n = 94), based on use of antihypertensive medication, and next categorised into subgroups based on the onset of PE: early-onset PE (n = 39) and late-onset PE (n = 76). METHODS: All participants underwent cardiovascular risk screening 5-10 years after index pregnancy. We measured body mass, height and blood pressure. Blood was analysed for fasting glucose, insulin and lipid levels. All participants completed a validated questionnaire. The 10- and 30-year Framingham risk scores were calculated and compared. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Estimated Framingham 10- and 30-year risk scores for CVD. RESULTS: The overall 10- and 30-year CVD median risks weighing subjects' lipids were comparable between formerly PE women and controls; 1.6 versus 1.5% (P = 0.22) and 9.0 versus 9.0% (P = 0.49), respectively. However, hypertensive formerly PE women have twice the CVD risk as normotensive formerly PE women: 10- and 30-year CVD median risks were 3.1 versus 1.5% (P < 0.01) and 19.0% versus 8.0% (P < 0.01), respectively. Risk estimates based on BMI rather than lipid profile show comparable results. Early-onset PE clustered more often in the hypertensive formerly PE group and showed significantly higher 10- and 30-year CVD risk estimates based on lipids compared with the late-onset PE group: 1.7 versus 1.3% (P < 0.05) and 10.0 versus 7.0% (P < 0.05), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Women who are hypertensive after preeclampsia, have a twofold risk of developing CVD in the next 10-30 years. Formerly PE women who are normotensive in the first 10 years after their preeclamptic pregnancy have a comparable future cardiovascular risk to healthy controls.

Pre-eclampsia (PE) is associated with both postpartum structural asymptomatic heart disease (i.e. heart failure Stage B (HF-B)) and conventional cardiovascular (CV) risk factors. We aimed to evaluate the extent to which PE, adjusted for conventional CV risk factors, is associated independently with asymptomatic cardiac abnormalities postpartum.In this cross-sectional cohort study, 107 formerly pre-eclamptic women and 41 women with uneventful previous pregnancy (controls) were invited for CV risk assessment 4-10 years postpartum. This included cardiac ultrasound, blood pressure (BP) measurement and evaluation of metabolic syndrome determinants. Asymptomatic structural and functional cardiac abnormalities were classified as HF-B, according to the American Heart Association guidelines. Prehypertension was defined as systolic BP of 120-139 mmHg and/or diastolic BP of 80-89 mmHg. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to calculate associations of PE and conventional risk factors with HF-B.The prevalence of asymptomatic HF-B was approximately 3.5-fold higher in the PE group compared with controls (25% vs 7%, P0.01); 67% of this group had concentric remodeling and 22% had mildly impaired ejection fraction. After adjustment for postpartum interval, hypertension and high-density lipoprotein, PE was significantly associated with HF-B (adjusted odds ratio, 4.4 (95% CI, 1.0-19.1)). Moreover, in the formerly pre-eclamptic group, prehypertension was associated significantly with HF-B (odds ratio, 4.3 (95% CI, 1.4-12.7)), while metabolic syndrome determinants were not.PE is associated with a four-fold increased female-specific risk of asymptomatic cardiac abnormalities. Prehypertension apparently increases this risk significantly, while metabolic syndrome determinants do not. Copyright © 2016 ISUOG. Published by John WileySons Ltd.

Pre-eclampsia (PE) is associated with both postpartum endothelial dysfunction and asymptomatic structural heart alterations consistent with heart failure Stage B (HF-B). In this study, we assessed the relationship between endothelial function, measured by flow-mediated dilation (FMD), and HF-B in women with a history of PE.This was an observational study in which 67 formerly pre-eclamptic women (≥ 4 years postpartum) and 37 healthy parous controls were assessed ultrasonographically for cardiac function and geometry, as well as for endothelial function by means of brachial artery FMD. HF-B was diagnosed as left ventricular hypertrophy (left ventricular mass index (LVMi) 95 g/mThe prevalence of HF-B amongst formerly pre-eclamptic women was three-fold higher than that observed for controls (25% vs 8%, P 0.05), while FMD was lower in formerly pre-eclamptic women compared with controls (6.12% vs 8.22%, P 0.01); history of PE remained associated independently with lower FMD after adjusting for metabolic syndrome risk factors and obstetric parameters (β, -1.88; 95% CI, -3.59 to -0.18). However, HF-B did not relate to low FMD in formerly pre-eclamptic women.Years after pregnancy, formerly pre- eclamptic women have lower FMD and have HF-B more often compared with healthy parous controls. Nonetheless, HF-B was not related to reduced FMD. Copyright © 2017 ISUOG. Published by John WileySons Ltd.

After pre-eclampsia (PE), the prevalence of structural heart disease without symptoms, i.e. heart failure Stage B (HF-B), may be as high as one in four women in the first year postpartum. We hypothesize that a significant number of formerly pre-eclamptic women with HF-B postpartum are still in their resolving period and will not have HF-B during follow-up.In this prospective longitudinal cohort study, we included 69 formerly pre-eclamptic women who underwent serial echocardiographic measurements at 1 and 4 years postpartum. HF-B was diagnosed as left ventricular hypertrophy (left ventricular mass index (LVMi)95 g/mThe prevalence of HF-B in formerly pre-eclamptic women was 23% in the first year postpartum and 23% after 4 years. At the second visit, HF-B had resolved in 62.5% of affected women but was newly developed in 19% of initially unaffected women. At the first visit, 56% of women diagnosed with HF-B had reduced systolic function whereas at the second visit 69% of women with HF-B had concentric remodeling with mostly normal ejection fraction, consistent with diastolic dysfunction.The prevalence of HF-B can be considered consistently high (1 in 4) amongst formerly pre-eclamptic women at follow-up. Nonetheless, at an individual level, more than 60% of women found initially to be affected by HF-B will recover, whilst about 20% of formerly pre-eclamptic women with normal echocardiography in the first year postpartum will develop HF-B over the following years. Copyright © 2016 ISUOG. Published by John WileySons Ltd.

Objective To compare the prevalence of recurrent pre-eclampsia between women who have and do not have metabolic syndrome when non-pregnant. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Three tertiary referral hospitals in the Netherlands. Population Formerly pre-eclamptic women. Methods The presence or absence of metabolic syndrome was assessed in 480 women at least 6 months after their first pre-eclamptic pregnancy using World Health Organization criteria. We compared the prevalence of recurrent pre-eclampsia in the subsequent pregnancy, calculating odds ratios (OR), adjusted for confounders. Main outcome measure Recurrence of pre-eclampsia in the subsequent pregnancy. Results Subsequent pregnancy outcome data were available for 197 women. Forty women had metabolic syndrome after previous pregnancy (20%). The prevalence of recurrent pre-eclampsia was 18/40 (45%) in women with metabolic syndrome versus 27/157 (17%) in women without metabolic syndrome; OR 3.94 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.86–8.33, adjusted OR 3.77 (95% CI 1.61–8.81). The risk of recurrent pre-eclampsia increased with each extra component of the metabolic syndrome from 11.8% for absent components up to 43.9% for three or more (P for trend

This article reports two experiments examining whether or not auditory word recognition is more sensitive to word‐initial than to word‐final stimulus information. In the first experiment the contributions of prefixes and suffixes to word recognition were compared. These affixes carried widely varying amounts of lexical information and were added to somewhat degraded monomorphematic word stems in Dutch synthetic speech. Although there was a strong effect of lexical information on word recognition, no difference was found between the contributions of prefixes and suffixes. In the second experiment the effects of masking with noise of either initial or final parts of polysyllabic and monomorphematic synthesized Dutch words were compared. The amount of lexical redundancy carried by initial and final parts of words was the same. Again no difference was found. We conclude that the process of lexical activation during spoken‐word recognition is equally sensitive to word‐initial and word‐final stimulus information. A special role of word onsets remains because the onsets can ensure proper temporal alignment between stimulus and candidate word forms.

Several accounts of the human recognition of spoken words assign special importance to stimulus‐word onsets. The experiment described here was designed to find out whether such a word‐beginning superiority effect is due to a special sensitivity of the word recognition process to word‐initial stimulus information, or rather to the special importance of word onsets for the proper alignment of stimuli with word candidates. Twenty‐eight polysyllabic monomorphematic test words were selected, all having the special characteristic that their left‐to‐right and right‐to‐left recognition points coincided in the same phoneme. These words were synthesized from diphones, and, of each word, four versions were prepared: (a) without noise; (b) with noise masking segment perception in the word‐initial fragment; (c) with noise masking segment perception in the word‐final fragment; and (d) with noise masking the whole word. These stimuli were, appropriately blocked, distributed over four stimulus tapes, and presented to four groups of 12 subjects for word recognition. Percentages correctly recognized real words were, for the four conditions: (a) 89%, (b) 54%, (c) 59%, and (d) 13%. The difference between (b) and (c) was not significant. This is interpreted as evidence that (1) auditory word recognition is not more sensitive to word‐initial than to word‐final stimulus information, and (2) stimulus information from all parts of a spoken word can be used efficiently, as long as its proper time alignment with word candidates in the mind of the listener is ensured.