Lifestyle and Comorbidities: Do We Take Enough Care of Preconception Health in Assisted Reproduction?
Abstract
Objective: The preconception period is largely neglected, whereas it represents an opportunity to identify and modify clinical and behavioral risks, particularly in infertile women characterized by an unfavorable vascular burden. The present study was performed to strengthen previous findings and to increase the awareness of clinicians who should envision a broader preconception approach in infertile women, beyond their reproductive health.
Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, we investigated 1003 Caucasian women, referred to the Internal Medicine Clinic at the Assisted Reproductive Technologies Center, Florence.
Results: A high prevalence of dyslipidemia (57.4%), overweight/obesity (29.1%) and, smoking habit (26.6%) were found. We provided evidence of unhealthy lifestyle habits, represented by a closer adherence to the Mediterranean diet in the 9.5% only and by a sedentary behavior in 73%. A significant correlation between the Mediterranean Diet score and both anthropometric and metabolic parameters was found. We also observed a lower score adherence with both metabolic syndrome and diabetes (for both p=0.02), but not with hypertension.
Conclusion: Before infertility treatment, the correction and the management of modifiable and non-modifiable cardiovascular risk factors are mandatory and represent the main goal for a safe pregnancy, and lifetime women’s health.
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24. Ricci E, Bravi F, Noli S, et al. Mediterranean diet and outcomes of assisted reproduction: an Italian cohort study. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2019;221:627.
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26. Berends AL, de Groot CJ, Sijbrands EJ, et al. Shared constitutional risks for maternal vascular-related pregnancy complications and future cardiovascular disease. Hypertension. 2008;51:1034-41.
27. Kaaja RJ, Greer IA. Manifestations of chronic disease during pregnancy. JAMA 2005;294:2751‐57.
28. Bushnell C, McCullough LD, Awad IA, et al. Guidelines for the prevention of stroke in women: a statement for healthcare professionals from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Stroke. 2014;45:1545-88.
29. Mosca L, Benjamin EJ, Berra K, et al. Effectiveness-based guidelines for the prevention of cardiovascular disease in women--2011 update: a guideline from the american heart association Circulation. 2011;123:1243-62.
30. Williams D. Pregnancy: a stress test for life. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol. 2003;15:465-71.
31. Westerlund E, Brandt L, Hovatta O, Wallén H, Ekbom A, Henriksson P. Incidence of hypertension, stroke, coronary heart disease, and diabetes in women who have delivered after in vitro fertilization: a population-based cohort study from Sweden. Fertil Steril. 2014;102:1096-1102.
32. Becerra-Gonzales VG, Claudia Martinez. Clinical Challenges for Women of Modern Societies and Potential Cardiovascular Consequences. JACC: Case Reports. 2020. 2;159-60.
33. Howell EP, Harris BS, Kuller JA, Acharya KS. Preconception Evaluation Before In Vitro Fertilization. Obstet Gynecol Surv. 2020;75:359-68.
2. Stephenson J, Heslehurst N, Hall J, et al. Before the beginning: nutrition and lifestyle in the preconception period and its importance for future health. Lancet. 2018;391:1830-41.
3. Udell JA, Lu H, Redelmeier DA. Failure of fertility therapy and subsequent adverse cardiovascular events. CMAJ. 2017; 189:E391-7.
4. Karayiannis D, Kontogianni MD, Mendorou C, Mastrominas M, Yiannakouris N. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet and IVF success rate among non-obese women attempting fertility. Hum Reprod. 2018;33:494-502.
5. Assaf-Balut C, García de la Torre N, Durán A, et al. A Mediterranean diet with additional extra virgin olive oil and pistachios reduces the incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM): A randomized controlled trial: The St. Carlos GDM prevention study. PLoS One. 2017;12:e0185873
6. Parlapani E, Agakidis C, Karagiozoglou-Lampoudi T, et al. The Mediterranean diet adherence by pregnant women delivering prematurely: association with size at birth and complications of prematurity. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2019;32:1084-91.
7. Mijatovic-Vukas J, Capling L, Cheng S, et al. Associations of Diet and Physical Activity with Risk for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients. 2018;10:698.
8. Aune D, Saugstad OD, Henriksen T, Tonstad S. Physical activity and the risk of preeclampsia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Epidemiology. 2014;25:331-43.
9. Frayne DJ, Verbiest S, Chelmow D, et al. Health Care System Measures to Advance Preconception Wellness: Consensus Recommendations of the Clinical Workgroup of the National Preconception Health and Health Care Initiative. Obstet Gynecol. 2016;127:863–72.
10. Agarwal P, Morriseau TS, Kereliuk SM, Doucette CA, Wicklow BA, Dolinsky VW. Maternal obesity, diabetes during pregnancy and epigenetic mechanisms that influence the developmental origins of cardiometabolic disease in the offspring. Crit Rev Clin Lab Sci. 2018;55:71-101.
11. Grainger DA, Frazier LM, Rowland CA. Preconception care and treatment with assisted reproductive technologies. Matern Child Health J. 2006;10:S161-4.
12. Pothineni NV, Kovelamudi S, Kantipudi S. Assisted Reproductive Techniques and Cardiovascular Risk. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2019;73:117-8.
13. Fatini C, Cirillo M, Coccia ME. Assisted Reproductive
Technology, Comorbidities, and Cardiovascular Risk: The Experience of an Italian Center. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2018;27:1285-92.
14. Alberti KG, Zimmet P, Shaw J; IDF Epidemiology Task Force Consensus Group. The metabolic syndrome--a new worldwide definition. Lancet.. 2005; 366:1059-62.
15. Lear SA, James PT, Ko GT et al. Appropriateness of waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio cutoffs for different ethnic groups. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2010; 64:42-61.
16. European Association for Cardiovascular Prevention & Rehabilitation, Reiner Z, Catapano AL, et al. ESC/EAS Guidelines for the management of dyslipidaemias: the Task Force for the management of dyslipidaemias of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS). Eur Heart J. 2011;32:1769-1818.
17. Mancia G, Fagard R, Narkiewicz K, et al. 2013 ESH/ESC Guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension: the Task Force for the management of arterial hypertension of the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) and of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). J Hypertens. 2013;31:1281-1357.
18. Expert Committee on the Diagnosis and Classification of Diabetes Mellitus. Report of the expert committee on the diagnosis and classification of diabetes mellitus. Diabetes Care. 2003;26:S5-20.
19. Headache Classification Committee of the International Headache Society (IHS). The International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition (beta version). Cephalalgia. 2013;33:629-808.
20. Martínez-González MA, García-Arellano A, Toledo E, et al. A 14-item Mediterranean diet assessment tool and obesity indexes among high-risk subjects: the PREDIMED trial. PLoS One. 2012;7:e43134.
21. Yu E, Malik VS, Hu FB. Cardiovascular Disease Prevention by Diet Modification: JACC Health Promotion Series. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2018;72:914-26.
22. Dinu M, Pagliai G, Casini A, Sofi F. Mediterranean diet and multiple health outcomes: an umbrella review of meta-analyses of observational studies and randomised trials. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2018;72:30-43.
23. Martínez-González MÁ, Hershey MS, Zazpe I, Trichopoulou A. Transferability of the Mediterranean Diet to Non-Mediterranean Countries. What Is and What Is Not the Mediterranean Diet. Nutrients 2017;9:1226.
24. Ricci E, Bravi F, Noli S, et al. Mediterranean diet and outcomes of assisted reproduction: an Italian cohort study. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2019;221:627.
25. Smith GC, Pell JP, Walsh D. Pregnancy complications and maternal risk of ischaemic heart disease: a retrospective cohort study of 129,290 births. Lancet.
2001;357:2002‐6.
26. Berends AL, de Groot CJ, Sijbrands EJ, et al. Shared constitutional risks for maternal vascular-related pregnancy complications and future cardiovascular disease. Hypertension. 2008;51:1034-41.
27. Kaaja RJ, Greer IA. Manifestations of chronic disease during pregnancy. JAMA 2005;294:2751‐57.
28. Bushnell C, McCullough LD, Awad IA, et al. Guidelines for the prevention of stroke in women: a statement for healthcare professionals from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Stroke. 2014;45:1545-88.
29. Mosca L, Benjamin EJ, Berra K, et al. Effectiveness-based guidelines for the prevention of cardiovascular disease in women--2011 update: a guideline from the american heart association Circulation. 2011;123:1243-62.
30. Williams D. Pregnancy: a stress test for life. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol. 2003;15:465-71.
31. Westerlund E, Brandt L, Hovatta O, Wallén H, Ekbom A, Henriksson P. Incidence of hypertension, stroke, coronary heart disease, and diabetes in women who have delivered after in vitro fertilization: a population-based cohort study from Sweden. Fertil Steril. 2014;102:1096-1102.
32. Becerra-Gonzales VG, Claudia Martinez. Clinical Challenges for Women of Modern Societies and Potential Cardiovascular Consequences. JACC: Case Reports. 2020. 2;159-60.
33. Howell EP, Harris BS, Kuller JA, Acharya KS. Preconception Evaluation Before In Vitro Fertilization. Obstet Gynecol Surv. 2020;75:359-68.
| Files | ||
| Issue | Vol 14, No 3 (September 2020) | |
| Section | Original Articles | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.18502/jfrh.v14i3.4667 | |
| Keywords | ||
| Preconception Care Pregnancy Planning Assisted Reproduction Women’s Health Lifestyle Cardiovascular Prevention | ||
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How to Cite
1.
Cirillo M, Coccia M, Fatini C. Lifestyle and Comorbidities: Do We Take Enough Care of Preconception Health in Assisted Reproduction?. J Family Reprod Health. 2020;14(3):150-157.
