Erica P Gunderson

University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

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Publications (39)163.19 Total impact

  • Article: Preterm Birth and Future Maternal Blood Pressure, Inflammation, and Intimal-medial Thickness: The CARDIA Study.
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    ABSTRACT: Preterm birth (PTB, <37 weeks) may be a marker of endothelial dysfunction and a proinflammatory phenotype; both are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. We studied 916 women (46% black) with 1181 live births between enrollment in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study (age 18-30 years) and 20 years later. C-reactive protein was measured at years 7, 15, and 20. Interleukin-6 and carotid intima-media thickness, which incorporated the common carotid arteries, bifurcations, and internal carotid arteries, were measured at year 20. Blood pressure, lipids, anthropometrics, and pregnancy events were assessed at all visits. Change in risk factors and differences in inflammatory markers and intima-media thickness according to PTB were evaluated. Women with PTBs (n=226) had higher mean systolic blood pressures before pregnancy (106 versus 105 mm Hg, respectively; P=0.03). Systolic and diastolic blood pressure increased more rapidly over 20 years compared with women with term births (P<0.01 time interaction), even after removing women with self-reported hypertension in pregnancy. Women with PTB versus term births had similar mean intima-media thickness adjusted for age, body mass index, race, lifestyle, and cardiovascular risk factors. C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 did not differ according to PTB. Women with PTB, regardless of hypertension during pregnancy, had higher blood pressure after pregnancy compared with women with term births. In the United States, where rates of PTB are high and race disparities persist, PTB may identify women with higher blood pressure in the years after pregnancy.
    Hypertension 01/2013; · 6.21 Impact Factor
  • Article: Changes in weight and health behaviors after pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus: The CARDIA study.
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    ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE: Prepregnancy to postpregnancy change in weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, diet, and physical activity in women with and without gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) were compared. DESIGN AND METHODS: Using the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study, women with at least one pregnancy during 20 years of follow-up (n = 1,488 with 3,125 pregnancies) was identified. Linear regression with generalized estimating equations to compare prepregnancy to postpregnancy changes in health behaviors and anthropometric measurements between 137 GDM pregnancies and 1,637 non-GDM pregnancies, adjusted for parity, age at delivery, outcome measure at the prepregnancy exam, race, education, mode of delivery, and interval between delivery and postpregnancy examination were used. RESULTS: When compared with women without GDM in pregnancy, women with GDM had higher prepregnancy mean weight (158.3 vs. 149.6 lb, P = 0.011) and BMI (26.7 vs. 25.1 kg/m(2) , P = 0.002), but nonsignificantly lower total daily caloric intake and similar levels of physical activity. Both GDM and non-GDM groups had higher average postpartum weight of 7-8 lbs and decreased physical activity on average 1.4 years after pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: Both groups similarly increased total caloric intake but reduced fast food frequency. Prepregnancy to postpregnancy changes in body weight, BMI, waist circumference, physical activity, and diet did not differ between women with and without GDM in pregnancy. Following pregnancy, women with and without GDM increased caloric intake, BMI, and weight and decreased physical activity, but reduced their frequency of eating fast food. Given these trends, postpartum lifestyle interventions, particularly for women with GDM, are needed to reduce obesity and diabetes risk.
    Obesity 11/2012; · 4.28 Impact Factor
  • Article: Influence of breastfeeding during the postpartum oral glucose tolerance test on plasma glucose and insulin.
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    ABSTRACT: To examine the effect of breastfeeding during the postpartum oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) on maternal blood glucose and insulin among women with recent gestational diabetes mellitus. Participants were enrolled in the Study of Women, Infant Feeding, and Type 2 Diabetes, a prospective observational cohort study of 1,035 Kaiser Permanente Northern California members who had been diagnosed with GDM and subsequently underwent a 2-hour 75-g OGTT at 6-9 weeks postpartum for the study enrollment examinations from 2008 to 2011. For this analysis, we selected 835 study participants who reported any intensity of lactation and were observed either breastfeeding their infants (ie, putting the infant to the breast) or not breastfeeding during the OGTT. Of 835 lactating women, 205 (25%) breastfed their infants during the 2-hour 75-g OGTT at 6-9 weeks postpartum. Mean (standard deviation) duration of breastfeeding during the OGTT was 15.3 (8.1) minutes. Compared with not having breastfed during the OGTT, having breastfed during the test was associated with lower adjusted mean (95% confidence interval) 2-hour glucose (mg/dL) by -6.2 (-11.5 to -1.0; P=.02), 2-hour insulin (microunits/mL) by -15.1 (-26.8 to -3.5; P=.01), and natural log 2-hour insulin by -0.15 (-0.25 to -0.06; P<.01), and with higher insulin sensitivity index0,120 by 0.08 (0.02-0.15; P=.02), but no differences in plasma fasting glucose or insulin concentrations. Among postpartum women with recent gestational diabetes mellitus, breastfeeding an infant during the 2-hour 75-g OGTT may modestly lower plasma 2-hour glucose (5% lower on average) as well as insulin concentrations in response to ingestion of glucose.
    Obstetrics and Gynecology 07/2012; 120(1):136-43. · 4.73 Impact Factor
  • Article: Pregnancy during adolescence has lasting adverse effects on blood lipids: a 10-year longitudinal study of black and white females.
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    ABSTRACT: Primiparity has been associated with 3 to 4 mg/dL lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations in black and white adult women that persist several years after delivery. To examine the lasting effects of adolescent pregnancy on blood lipids, an early risk factor for future cardiometabolic diseases. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute's Growth and Health Study is a multicenter prospective cohort that measured fasting blood lipids for 1013 (513 black, 500 white) participants at baseline (1987-1988) ages 9-10, and again at follow-up (1996-1997) ages 18-19. Change in fasting plasma total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, defined as the difference between baseline and follow-up measurements, was compared among 186 (145 black, 41 white) primi- or multiparas, 106 (55 black, 51 white) nulliparous, gravidas versus 721 (313 black, 408 white) nulligravidas. Fully adjusted multiple linear regression models estimated blood lipid changes among these pregnancy groups adjusted for race, age at menarche, baseline lipids, physical inactivity, body mass index, and family sociodemographics. In the 10-year study period, adolescent paras compared with nulligravidas had greater decrements in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (mg/dL; fully adjusted mean [95% confidence interval] group differences in black -4.3 [-6.7, -2.0]; P < .001 and white: -4.5 [-8.2, -0.7]; P = .016) and greater increments in fasting triglycerides (mg/dL; adjusted mean [95% confidence interval] group differences in black: 10.4 [3.9, 16.8]; P < .001, and white: 11.6 [-3.6, 26.8]; P = .167). Adolescent pregnancy contributes to pro-atherogenic lipid profiles that persist after delivery. Further research is needed to assess whether adolescent pregnancy has implications for future cardiovascular disease risk in young women.
    Journal of Clinical Lipidology 03/2012; 6(2):139-49. · 1.58 Impact Factor
  • Article: Lactation intensity and postpartum maternal glucose tolerance and insulin resistance in women with recent GDM: the SWIFT cohort.
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    ABSTRACT: To examine the association between breastfeeding intensity in relation to maternal blood glucose and insulin and glucose intolerance based on the postpartum 2-h 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) results at 6-9 weeks after a pregnancy with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). We selected 522 participants enrolled into the Study of Women, Infant Feeding, and Type 2 Diabetes (SWIFT), a prospective observational cohort study of Kaiser Permanente Northern California members diagnosed with GDM using the 3-h 100-g OGTT by the Carpenter and Coustan criteria. Women were classified as normal, prediabetes, or diabetes according to American Diabetes Association criteria based on the postpartum 2-h 75-g OGTT results. Compared with exclusive or mostly formula feeding (>17 oz formula per 24 h), exclusive breastfeeding and mostly breastfeeding (≤6 oz formula per 24 h) groups, respectively, had lower adjusted mean (95% CI) group differences in fasting plasma glucose (mg/dL) of -4.3 (-7.4 to -1.3) and -5.0 (-8.5 to -1.4), in fasting insulin (μU/mL) of -6.3 (-10.1 to -2.4) and -7.5 (-11.9 to -3.0), and in 2-h insulin of -21.4 (-41.0 to -1.7) and -36.5 (-59.3 to -13.7) (all P < 0.05). Exclusive or mostly breastfeeding groups had lower prevalence of diabetes or prediabetes (P = 0.02). Higher intensity of lactation was associated with improved fasting glucose and lower insulin levels at 6-9 weeks' postpartum. Lactation may have favorable effects on glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity that may reduce diabetes risk after GDM pregnancy.
    Diabetes care 01/2012; 35(1):50-6. · 8.09 Impact Factor
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    Article: Study of Women, Infant Feeding, and Type 2 diabetes mellitus after GDM pregnancy (SWIFT), a prospective cohort study: methodology and design.
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    ABSTRACT: Women with history of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes within 5 years after delivery. Evidence that lactation duration influences incident type 2 diabetes after GDM pregnancy is based on one retrospective study reporting a null association. The Study of Women, Infant Feeding and Type 2 Diabetes after GDM pregnancy (SWIFT) is a prospective cohort study of postpartum women with recent GDM within the Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) integrated health care system. The primary goal of SWIFT is to assess whether prolonged, intensive lactation as compared to formula feeding reduces the 2-year incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus among women with GDM. The study also examines whether lactation intensity and duration have persistent favorable effects on blood glucose, insulin resistance, and adiposity during the 2-year postpartum period. This report describes the design and methods implemented for this study to obtain the clinical, biochemical, anthropometric, and behavioral measurements during the recruitment and follow-up phases. SWIFT is a prospective, observational cohort study enrolling and following over 1, 000 postpartum women diagnosed with GDM during pregnancy within KPNC. The study enrolled women at 6-9 weeks postpartum (baseline) who had been diagnosed by standard GDM criteria, aged 20-45 years, delivered a singleton, term (greater than or equal to 35 weeks gestation) live birth, were not using medications affecting glucose tolerance, and not planning another pregnancy or moving out of the area within the next 2 years. Participants who are free of type 2 diabetes and other serious medical conditions at baseline are screened for type 2 diabetes annually within the first 2 years after delivery. Recruitment began in September 2008 and ends in December 2011. Data are being collected through pregnancy and early postpartum telephone interviews, self-administered monthly mailed questionnaires (3-11 months postpartum), a telephone interview at 6 months, and annual in-person examinations at which a 75 g 2-hour OGTT is conducted, anthropometric measurements are obtained, and self- and interviewer-administered questionnaires are completed. This is the first, large prospective, community-based study involving a racially and ethnically diverse cohort of women with recent GDM that rigorously assesses lactation intensity and duration and examines their relationship to incident type 2 diabetes while accounting for numerous potential confounders not assessed previously.
    BMC Public Health 12/2011; 11:952. · 2.00 Impact Factor
  • Article: Epidemiology of peripartum cardiomyopathy: incidence, predictors, and outcomes.
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    ABSTRACT: To estimate the incidence, describe the mortality, and identify independent predictors of peripartum cardiomyopathy, a very serious cardiovascular complication of pregnancy associated with maternal morbidity and mortality among otherwise healthy women without prior heart disease. We identified all cases of diagnosed heart failure that occurred among women within 1 month before to 5 months after delivery of a liveborn neonate in Kaiser Permanente Northern California delivery hospitals between 1995 and 2004. Incident peripartum cardiomyopathy was confirmed from medical records documenting dilated cardiomyopathy with reduced left ventricular systolic function after excluding women with prior heart failure or valvular disease. Data sources included medical records, electronic clinical databases, and state birth and death files. Among 227,224 eligible women, we confirmed 110 recognized peripartum cardiomyopathy cases (incidence: 4.84 per 10,000 live births, 95% confidence interval 3.98-5.83). Independent predictors included maternal age of 25 years or older, non-Hispanic African American and Filipino groups, parity of 4 or greater, multiple gestation, severe anemia, pre-existing and pregnancy-related hypertensive disorders, and hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelets syndrome. Maternal death rate (per 1,000 person-years) was higher among cases (6.12) than noncases (0.23; P<.001). Neonates whose mothers developed peripartum cardiomyopathy experienced poorer clinical outcomes. Within a large, diverse northern California population, 1 of every 2,066 women delivering a liveborn neonate had recognized, confirmed peripartum cardiomyopathy, which was associated with higher maternal and neonatal death rates and worse neonatal outcomes. Several readily available patient characteristics can be used to identify women at risk for this severe pregnancy complication. II.
    Obstetrics and Gynecology 09/2011; 118(3):583-91. · 4.73 Impact Factor
  • Article: Change in body mass index between pregnancies and the risk of gestational diabetes in a second pregnancy.
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    ABSTRACT: To estimate the association between interpregnancy change in body mass index (BMI) and the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in a second pregnancy. In a retrospective cohort analysis of 22,351 women, logistic regression models provided adjusted estimates of the risk of GDM in women gaining 3.0 or more 2.0-2.9, and 1.0-1.9 BMI units, or losing 1.0-2.0 and more than 2.0 units between pregnancies (one BMI unit corresponds to 5.9 pounds for the average height [5 feet 4 inches] of the study population). Women with stable BMIs (±1.0 BMI unit) comprised the reference. For those with GDM in the first pregnancy, the age-adjusted risk of GDM in the second pregnancy was 38.19% (95% confidence interval [CI] 34.96-41.42); for those whose first pregnancy was not complicated by GDM, the risk was 3.52% (95% CI 3.27-3.76). Compared with women who remained stable, interpregnancy BMI gains were associated with an increased risk of GDM in the second pregnancy (odds ratio [OR] 1.71 [95% CI 1.42-2.07] for gaining 1.0-1.9 BMI units; OR 2.46 [95% CI 2.00-3.02] for 2.0-2.9 BMI units; and OR 3.40 [95% CI 2.81-4.12] for 3.0 or more BMI units). The loss of BMI units was associated with a lower risk of GDM only among women who were overweight or obese in the first pregnancy (OR 0.26 [95% CI 0.14-0.47] for the loss of at least 2.0 BMI units). In overweight and obese women, those with GDM in the first pregnancy that did not develop the condition again gained fewer BMI units than those experiencing recurrent GDM (mean change 0.66 [95% CI 0.25-1.07] compared with 2.00 [95% CI 1.56-2.43] BMI units, respectively). Interpregnancy increases in BMI between the first and second pregnancy increases a woman's risk of GDM pregnancy.
    Obstetrics and Gynecology 06/2011; 117(6):1323-30. · 4.73 Impact Factor
  • Article: Multivitamin use and breast cancer outcomes in women with early-stage breast cancer: the Life After Cancer Epidemiology study.
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    ABSTRACT: Little is known about the relation of multivitamin use to breast cancer outcomes. 2,236 women diagnosed from 1997 to 2000 with early-stage breast cancer (Stage I ≥ 1 cm, II, or IIIA) were enrolled about 2 years post-diagnosis, primarily from the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Cancer Registry (83%). Multivitamin use pre-diagnosis and post-diagnosis was assessed via mailed questionnaire. Outcomes were ascertained yearly by self-report and verified by medical record review. Delayed-entry Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), adjusting for sociodemographic, tumor, and lifestyle factors. Overall, 54 and 72% of the cohort reported using multivitamins pre- and post-diagnosis, respectively. A total of 380 recurrences, 212 breast cancer deaths, and 396 total deaths were confirmed. Compared to never use, multivitamin use after diagnosis was not associated with any outcome (recurrence HR = 0.92; 95% CI: 0.71, 1.20; total mortality HR = 0.92; 95% CI: 0.71, 1.19). Compared to never use, persistent use of multivitamins from pre- to post-diagnosis was associated with a non-significant decreased risk of recurrence (HR = 0.76; 95% CI: 0.54, 1.06) and total mortality (HR = 0.79; 95% CI: 0.56, 1.12). The protective associations were limited to women who had been treated by radiation only (P for trend = 0.048 and 0.083 for recurrence and total mortality, respectively) and both radiation and chemotherapy (P for trend = 0.015 and 0.095 for recurrence and total mortality, respectively). In stratified analyses, women who consistently used multivitamins before and after diagnosis and ate more fruits/vegetables (P for trend = 0.008) and were more physically active (P for trend = 0.034) had better overall survival. Multivitamin use along with practice of other health-promoting behaviors may be beneficial in improving breast cancer outcomes in select groups of survivors.
    Breast Cancer Research and Treatment 05/2011; 130(1):195-205. · 4.43 Impact Factor
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    Article: Duration of lactation and maternal adipokines at 3 years postpartum.
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    ABSTRACT: Lactation has been associated with reduced maternal risk of type 2 diabetes, the metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. We examined the relationship between breastfeeding duration and maternal adipokines at 3 years postpartum. We used linear regression to relate the duration of lactation to maternal leptin, adiponectin, ghrelin, and peptide YY (PYY) at 3 years postpartum among 570 participants with 3-year postpartum blood samples (178 fasting), prospectively collected lactation history, and no intervening pregnancy in Project Viva, a cohort study of mothers and children. A total of 88% of mothers had initiated breastfeeding, 26% had breastfed ≥ 12 months, and 42% had exclusively breastfed for ≥ 3 months. In multivariate analyses, we found that duration of total breastfeeding was directly related to PYY and ghrelin, and exclusive breastfeeding duration was directly related to ghrelin (predicted mean for never exclusively breastfeeding: 790.6 pg/mL vs. ≥ 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding: 1,008.1 pg/mL; P < 0.01) at 3 years postpartum, adjusting for pregravid BMI, gestational weight gain, family history of diabetes, parity, smoking status, and age. We found a nonlinear pattern of association between exclusive breastfeeding duration and adiponectin in multivariate-adjusted models. In this prospective cohort study, we found a direct relationship between the duration of lactation and both ghrelin and PYY at 3 years postpartum.
    Diabetes 02/2011; 60(4):1277-85. · 8.29 Impact Factor
  • Article: Pre-pregnancy stress reactivity and pregnancy outcome.
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    ABSTRACT: Stress has been proposed as a cause of preterm birth (PTB) and small-for-gestational age (SGA), but stress does not have the same effects on all women. It may be that a woman's reaction to stress relates to her pregnancy health, and previous studies indicate that higher reactivity is associated with reduced birthweight and gestational age. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between pre-pregnancy cardiovascular reactivity to stress and pregnancy outcome. The sample included 917 women in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study who had cardiovascular reactivity measured in 1987-88 and at least one subsequent singleton livebirth within an 18-year period. Cardiovascular reactivity was measured using a video game, star tracing and cold pressor test. Gestational age and birthweight were based on the women's self-report, with PTB defined as birth <37 weeks' gestation and SGA as weight <10th percentile for gestational age. Linear and Poisson regression and generalised estimating equations were used to model the relationship between reactivity to stress and birth outcomes with control for confounders. Few associations were seen between reactivity and pregnancy outcomes. Higher pre-pregnancy diastolic blood pressure (adjusted relative risk 1.14; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.98, 1.34) and mean arterial pressure reactivity (1.15; 0.98, 1.36) were associated with risk of PTB at first pregnancy, while SGA was associated with lower systolic blood pressure reactivity (0.76; 0.60, 0.95). No associations were seen with other measures of reactivity. Contrary to hypothesis, the association between heart rate reactivity and PTB in first pregnancy was stronger in whites (adjusted relative risk 1.39; 1.03, 1.88) than in blacks (1.00; 0.83, 1.20; P for interaction = 0.08). Similar results were found for mean arterial pressure. No strong associations were found between higher pre-pregnancy stress reactivity and SGA or PTB, and stress reactivity did not have a stronger association with birth outcomes in blacks than whites.
    Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology 11/2010; 24(6):564-71. · 2.31 Impact Factor
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    Article: Longitudinal study of prepregnancy cardiometabolic risk factors and subsequent risk of gestational diabetes mellitus: The CARDIA study.
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    ABSTRACT: This study examined prepregnancy cardiometabolic risk factors and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in subsequent pregnancies. The authors selected 1,164 women without diabetes before pregnancy who delivered 1,809 livebirths between 5 consecutive examinations from 1985 to 2006 in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study. The authors measured prepregnancy cardiometabolic risk factors and performed multivariate repeated-measures logistic regression to compute the odds of GDM adjusted for race, age, parity, birth order, and other covariates. Impaired fasting glucose (100-125 vs. <90 mg/dL), elevated fasting insulin (>15-20 and >20 vs. <10 μU/mL), and low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (<40 vs. >50 mg/dL) before pregnancy were directly associated with GDM: The odds ratios = 4.74 (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.14, 10.51) for fasting glucose, 2.19 (95% CI: 1.15, 4.17) for middle insulin levels and 2.36 (95% CI: 1.20, 4.63) for highest insulin levels, and 3.07 (95% CI: 1.62, 5.84) for low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol among women with a negative family history of diabetes; all P < 0.01. Among overweight women, 26.7% with 1 or more cardiometabolic risk factors developed GDM versus 7.4% with none. Metabolic impairment exists before GDM pregnancy in nondiabetic women. Interconceptual metabolic screening could be included in routine health assessments to identify high-risk women for GDM in a subsequent pregnancy and to potentially minimize fetal exposure to metabolic abnormalities that program future disease.
    American journal of epidemiology 10/2010; 172(10):1131-43. · 5.59 Impact Factor
  • Article: Prepregnancy lipids related to preterm birth risk: the coronary artery risk development in young adults study.
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    ABSTRACT: Preterm birth is associated with maternal cardiovascular risk, but mechanisms are unknown. We considered that dyslipidemia may predispose women to both conditions and that prepregnancy lipids may be related to preterm birth risk. We hypothesized that low or high prepregnancy plasma lipids would be associated with preterm birth. A total of 1010 women (49% black) enrolled in the multicenter, prospective Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study with at least one singleton birth during 20 yr of follow-up were evaluated. Postbaseline preterm births less than 34 wk or 34 to less than 37 wk vs. greater than 37 wk gestation. We detected a U-shaped relationship between prepregnancy cholesterol concentrations and preterm birth risk. Women with prepregnancy cholesterol in the lowest quartile compared with the second quartile (<156 vs. 156-171 mg/dl) had an increased risk for preterm birth 34 to less than 37 wk (odds ratio 1.86; 95% confidence interval 1.10, 3.15) and less than 34 wk (odds ratio 3.04; 1.35, 6.81) independent of race, age, parity, body mass index, hypertension during pregnancy, physical activity, and years from measurement to birth. Prepregnancy cholesterol in the highest quartile (>195 mg/dl) was also associated with preterm birth less than 34 wk among women with normotensive pregnancies (odds ratio 3.80; 95% confidence interval 1.07, 7.57). There were no associations between prepregnancy triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and preterm birth. Both low and high prepregnancy cholesterol were related to preterm birth risk. These may represent distinct pathways to the heterogeneous outcome of preterm birth. Additional studies are needed to elucidate mechanisms that link low or high cholesterol to preterm birth and later-life sequelae.
    The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism 08/2010; 95(8):3711-8. · 6.50 Impact Factor
  • Article: Duration of lactation and maternal metabolism at 3 years postpartum.
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    ABSTRACT: Lactation has been associated with reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and the metabolic syndrome in mothers. We examined the relation between breastfeeding duration and metabolic markers at 3 years postpartum. We used linear regression to relate duration of lactation to maternal glucose and lipid metabolism, inflammatory markers, and anthropometry at 3 years postpartum among 570 participants with 3-year blood samples (175 fasting) in Project Viva, a cohort study of mothers and children. Among the participants, 88% had initiated breastfeeding, and 26% had breastfed >or=12 months. In multivariate analyses, we observed no consistent trends relating duration of lactation to maternal metabolism at 3 years postpartum. Women who exclusively breastfed for >6 months had lower postpartum weight retention at 3 years than women with shorter durations of exclusive breastfeeding (multivariate adjusted predicted mean -0.5, -3.6-2.6 kg vs. 4.8, 2.0-7.6 kg for those who never exclusively breastfed, partial F p = 0.03). In this prospective cohort study, we did not observe a dose-response relationship between duration of lactation and metabolic risk at 3 years postpartum.
    Journal of Women s Health 05/2010; 19(5):941-50. · 1.57 Impact Factor
  • Article: Association of maternal short sleep duration with adiposity and cardiometabolic status at 3 years postpartum.
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    ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to examine the association of short sleep duration among women in the first year postpartum with adiposity and cardiometabolic status at 3 years postpartum. We studied 586 women in Project Viva, a prospective cohort. At 6 months and 1 year postpartum, women reported the number of hours they slept in a 24-h period, from which we calculated a weighted average of daily sleep. We used multivariable regression analyses to predict the independent effects of short sleep duration (≤5 h/day vs. >5 h/day) on adiposity, glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism, and adipokines at 3 years postpartum. Women's mean (s.d.) hours of daily sleep in the first year postpartum was 6.7 (0.97) h. After adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, education, parity, prepregnancy BMI, and excessive gestational weight gain, we found that postpartum sleep ≤5 h/day was associated with higher postpartum weight retention (β 1.50 kg; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.02, 2.86), higher subscapular + triceps skinfold thickness (β 3.94 mm; 95% CI: 1.27, 6.60) and higher waist circumference (β 3.10 cm; 95% CI: 1.25, 4.94) at 3 years postpartum. We did not observe associations of short sleep duration with measures of cardiometabolic status at 3 years postpartum. In conclusion, short sleep duration in the first year postpartum is associated with higher adiposity at 3 years postpartum.
    Obesity 05/2010; 19(1):171-8. · 4.28 Impact Factor
  • Article: Gestational weight gain and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus.
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    ABSTRACT: To estimate the relationship between the rate of gestational weight gain before the 50-g, 1-hour oral glucose challenge test screening for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and subsequent risk of GDM. We conducted a nested case-control study (345 women with GDM and 800 women in the control group) within a multiethnic cohort of women delivering between 1996 and 1998 who were screened for GDM at 24-28 weeks of gestation. GDM was diagnosed according to the National Diabetes Data Group plasma glucose cut-offs for the 100-g, 3-hour oral glucose tolerance test. Women's plasma glucose levels, weights, and covariate data were obtained by medical record chart review. After adjusting for age at delivery, race/ethnicity, parity, and prepregnancy body mass index, the risk of GDM increased with increasing rates of gestational weight gain. Compared with the lowest tertile of rate of gestational weight gain (less than 0.27 kg/week [less than 0.60 lb/wk]), a rate of weight gain from 0.27-0.40 kg/wk (0.60-0.88 lb/wk) and 0.41 kg/wk (0.89 lb/wk) or more, were associated with increased risks of GDM (odds ratio 1.43, 95% confidence interval 0.96-2.14; and odds ratio 1.74, 95% confidence interval 1.16-2.60, respectively). The association between the rate of gestational weight gain and GDM was primarily attributed to increased weight gain in the first trimester. The association was stronger in overweight [corrected] and nonwhite women. High rates of gestational weight gain, especially early in pregnancy, may increase a woman's risk of GDM. Gestational weight gain during early pregnancy may represent a modifiable risk factor for GDM and needs more attention from health care providers.
    Obstetrics and Gynecology 03/2010; 115(3):597-604. · 4.73 Impact Factor
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    Article: Duration of lactation and incidence of the metabolic syndrome in women of reproductive age according to gestational diabetes mellitus status: a 20-Year prospective study in CARDIA (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults).
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    ABSTRACT: The objective of the study was to prospectively assess the association between lactation duration and incidence of the metabolic syndrome among women of reproductive age. Participants were 1,399 women (39% black, aged 18-30 years) in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study, an ongoing multicenter, population-based, prospective observational cohort study conducted in the U.S. Women were nulliparous and free of the metabolic syndrome at baseline (1985-1986) and before subsequent pregnancies, and reexamined 7, 10, 15, and/or 20 years after baseline. Incident metabolic syndrome case participants were identified according to National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III) criteria. Complementary log-log models estimated relative hazards of incident metabolic syndrome among time-dependent lactation duration categories by gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) adjusted for age, race, study center, baseline covariates (BMI, metabolic syndrome components, education, smoking, physical activity), and time-dependent parity. Among 704 parous women (620 non-GDM, 84 GDM), there were 120 incident metabolic syndrome case participants in 9,993 person-years (overall incidence rate 12.0 per 1,000 person-years; 10.8 for non-GDM, 22.1 for GDM). Increased lactation duration was associated with lower crude metabolic syndrome incidence rates from 0-1 month through >9 months (P < 0.001). Fully adjusted relative hazards showed that risk reductions associated with longer lactation were stronger among GDM (relative hazard range 0.14-0.56; P = 0.03) than non-GDM groups (relative hazard range 0.44-0.61; P = 0.03). Longer duration of lactation was associated with lower incidence of the metabolic syndrome years after weaning among women with a history of GDM and without GDM, controlling for preconception measurements, BMI, and sociodemographic and lifestyle traits. Lactation may have persistent favorable effects on women's cardiometabolic health.
    Diabetes 12/2009; 59(2):495-504. · 8.29 Impact Factor
  • Article: Childbearing and obesity in women: weight before, during, and after pregnancy.
    Erica P Gunderson
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    ABSTRACT: Weight gain and the development of obesity during midlife are strong independent predictors of cardiovascular disease, particularly among women, as well as the metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and early mortality. Primiparity and maternal body size before pregnancy affect long-term postpartum weight retention and the development of obesity among women of reproductive age. As a modifiable risk factor, body weight during the preconception, prenatal, and postpartum periods may present critical windows to implement interventions to prevent weight retention and the development of overweight and obesity in women of childbearing age.
    Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics of North America 07/2009; 36(2):317-32, ix. · 1.70 Impact Factor
  • Article: Childbearing is associated with higher incidence of the metabolic syndrome among women of reproductive age controlling for measurements before pregnancy: the CARDIA study.
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    ABSTRACT: We sought to prospectively examine whether childbearing is associated with higher incidence of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) after delivery among women of reproductive age. In 1451 nulliparas who were aged 18-30 years and free of the MetS at baseline (1985-1986) and reexamined up to 4 times during 20 years, we ascertained incident MetS defined by the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria among time-dependent interim birth groups by gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM): (0 [referent], 1 non-GDM, 2+ non-GDM, 1+ GDM births). Complementary log-log models estimated relative hazards of the MetS among birth groups adjusted for race, age, and baseline and follow-up covariates. We identified 259 incident MetS cases in 25,246 person-years (10.3/1000 person-years). Compared with 0 births, adjusted relative hazards (95% confidence interval [CI]) were 1.33 (95% CI, 0.93-1.90) for 1 non-GDM, 1.62 (95% CI, 1.16-2.26) for 2+ non-GDM (P trend = .02), and 2.43 (95% CI, 1.53-3.86) for 1+ GDM births. Increasing parity is associated with future development of the MetS independent of prior obesity and pregnancy-related weight gain. Risk varies by GDM status.
    American journal of obstetrics and gynecology 07/2009; 201(2):177.e1-9. · 3.28 Impact Factor
  • Article: Longitudinal study of growth and adiposity in parous compared with nulligravid adolescents.
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    ABSTRACT: To examine the impact of pregnancy on adolescent growth and adiposity relative to nulligravidas of similar maturation stage. Prospective cohort study. The multicenter National Heart, Lung and Blood Growth and Health Study with annual examinations from 1987-1988 through 1996-1997. One thousand eight hundred ninety girls (983 black and 907 white) aged 9 to 10 years at enrollment. Self-reported number of pregnancies and births during adolescence and young adulthood (age, 15-19 years): 311 primiparas (17%), 84 multiparas (4%), 196 nulliparous gravidas (10%), and 1299 nulligravidas (69%). Estimated race-specific changes in body weight, height, body mass index, waist circumference, hip circumference, waist to hip ratio, and percent body fat, defined as the difference between baseline and measurements 9 to 10 years later. Thirty-one percent of black and 10% of white girls gave birth during adolescence and young adulthood. We found evidence of race by pregnancy interactions (P < .10) for changes in weight, body mass index, hip circumference, and percent body fat. Black primiparas and multiparas, respectively, had smaller decrements in waist to hip ratio (0.019 and 0.023) and greater increments in weight (3.6 and 6.0 kg), body mass index (1.3 and 2.3), waist circumference (3.5 and 5.2 cm), hip circumference (2.1 and 4.0 cm), and percent body fat (3.4% and 4.6%) than black nulligravidas after adjustment for baseline measurements, age, study center, family income, parental education, age at menarche, hours of television and video viewing, and height at visit 9 or 10 in weight models (P < .01). White primiparas had borderline greater increments in waist circumference (2.4 cm) and percent body fat (0.9%) and smaller decrements in waist to hip ratio (0.017) than white nulligravidas (P < .05). Height did not differ by pregnancy status. Women who give birth during adolescence and young adulthood have substantially greater increments in overall and central adiposity than adolescents who do not experience pregnancy independent of other known correlates of weight gain.
    Archives of pediatrics & adolescent medicine 04/2009; 163(4):349-56. · 3.73 Impact Factor