THE OBSERVATORY :: NEWS TRENDS ANALYSIS
Pregnant women with polycystic ovary syndrome at risk of heart complications during delivery
photo credit photo by Dragana
Gordic@adobestock.com Fast Facts
Maternal mortality in the US before vs. during the COVID-19 pandemic
Source: xxx
Given a 16.8% increase in overall US mortality in 2020, largely attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) examined the pandemic’s role in 2020 maternal death rates.
XXX Text here 2018 – 2020
These years’ National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) mortality and natality files were used to analyze maternal deaths, based on underlying cause of death, in accordance with NCHS guidelines.
18.4%
indicates the increase in US maternal mortality (i.e., death during pregnancy or within 42 days of pregnancy) between 2019 and 2020.
33.3%
indicates the maternal death increase, in the US, after March 2020, corre- sponding to COVID-19 onset.
16
of 16 deaths (100%) listed COVID-19 and/or diseases of the respiratory system as a secondary condition of maternal death.
8.9
per 100,000 live births, or 74.2% of His- panic women, experienced maternal death during the pandemic.
16.8
per 100 000 live births, or 40.2% of non-Hispanic Black women, also experienced maternal death during the pandemic.
2.9
per 100,000 live births, or 17.2% of non-Hispanic White women, expe- rienced maternal death during the pandemic, as well.
Source:
https://jamanetwork.com/ journals/jamanetworkopen/fullar- ticle/2793640?
6 AUGUST 2022
MLO-ONLINE.COM
A common hormone disorder among women of reproductive age has been linked to an increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events and pregnancy outcomes at the time of birth, according to a new study led by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers. The study was published in the
Journal of the American Heart Association. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
affects an estimated 5%–13% of women in the general population. It causes ir- regular periods, excess levels of male hormones (androgens) and, at times, infertility. Building on previous re- search that shows PCOS is linked to future cardiovascular disease risks later in life, the new findings reveal that it can also significantly increase heart problems among pregnant women dur- ing delivery. These problems include preeclampsia (dangerous levels of high blood pressure with organ damage), peripartum cardiomyopathy (a weak or enlarged heart), heart failure, abnormal heart rhythms and venous thrombo- embolism (blood clots), compared with women without PCOS. “Oftentimes, women with PCOS are understandably concerned about the immediate effects, like an irregu- lar menstrual cycle, excess body hair, weight gain and acne. However, the long-term cardiovascular complica- tions are also a serious problem,” said Erin Michos, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and corresponding author of the study. Michos said the new study should encourage women with PCOS to live a heart-healthy lifestyle before, during, and after pregnancy to reduce the risk of adverse outcomes. For the study, researchers analyzed data gathered on more than 17 mil- lion U.S. births between 2002 and 2019 drawn from the National Inpatient Sample. Among those with hospital- ized deliveries, 195,675 had PCOS. The prevalence of PCOS — and obe- sity among those with the hormone disorder — increased significantly during the study period. The number of women with PCOS went from a re- ported 569 per 100,000 deliveries in 2002 to 15,349 per 100,000 deliveries in 2019. During that same time period, obesity also skyrocketed from 5.7% to 28.2% among women with PCOS. After adjusting for age, race, other
disorders not related to PCOS, insur- ance coverage and income, PCOS re-
mained an independent predictor of heart complications during delivery compared with women who did not have the hormone disorder. Compli- cations included preeclampsia, with a 56% increased comparative risk; heart failure, with a 76% increased risk; ab- normal heart rhythms, with a two-fold higher risk; weakened heart, with a 79% higher risk; and an 82% higher risk of developing blood clots. Women with PCOS were overall older (31 versus 28) and had a higher prevalence of diabetes, obesity, and high cholesterol. The study also found black women with PCOS were at greater risk for preeclampsia and other adverse outcomes. “Currently, the overall goal is to re- duce the rising mortality rate among pregnant women in the U.S., with a mission of identifying risk factors. Our study shows that PCOS is indeed a risk factor for acute cardiac complications at the time of delivery and should be taken seriously,” says Salman Zahid, MD, a resident physician in the Roch- ester General Hospital Internal Medi- cine Residency program in Rochester, New York, and lead author of the study. “We want to stress the importance of optimizing the cardiovascular health of women with PCOS with prevention efforts, especially black women and lower socioeconomic groups because we believe that those are the most vul- nerable populations and will benefit most from intervention.”
Identification of 1,000+ genes linked to severe COVID-19
Researchers from Stanford Medicine and the University of Sheffield in the U.K. have identified more than 1,000 genes linked to the development of severe COVID-19 cases that required breathing support or were fatal, accord- ing to a news release. The team was also able to identify specific types of cells in which those genes act up. It’s one of few studies to link coronavirus-associated genes to specific biological functions. The researchers used a machine learning tool named RefMap, which can find patterns in vast amounts of data, to help identify the genetic basis for com- plex and poorly understood diseases. “We mapped the genetic architecture of coronavirus infections and found that these 1,000 genes account for 77% of the drivers of severe COVID-19,” ex- plained Michael Snyder, PhD, Professor and chair of genetics. A paper describing the research was published in Cell Systems.
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