Epidemiological evidence from diverse human populations, supported by experimental evidence from animal models, suggests that maternal nutrition during pregnancy is an important fetal programming influence upon cardiovascular disease. Experiments with a low-protein-diet model of rat pregnancy suggest a role for the renin-angiotensin system in the programming mechanism, since fetal undernutritio...

BACKGROUND We conducted a family-based study to explore mechanisms underlying the associations of birth weight and gestational age with systolic blood pressure measured at 17 to 19 years of age. METHODS AND RESULTS A record linkage study of 386,485 singleton-born men from 331,089 families was undertaken. Birth weight was inversely associated with systolic blood pressure within siblings, with ...

BACKGROUND The effects of less-tight versus tight control of hypertension on pregnancy complications are unclear. METHODS We performed an open, international, multicenter trial involving women at 14 weeks 0 days to 33 weeks 6 days of gestation who had nonproteinuric preexisting or gestational hypertension, office diastolic blood pressure of 90 to 105 mm Hg (or 85 to 105 mm Hg if the woman was...

ramadan is considered as holy month of muslims worldwide. during this month, most able-bodied muslim adults refrain from foods, drinks, smoking, and medications from dawn until sunset. in islamic rules, patients and those for whom fasting may have major health risks are exempted from fasting during ramadan. there is still no consensus regarding the effects of ramadan fasting, as a unique opport...

We have reported that blood pressure was elevated in 3-month-old rats whose mothers were Fe-restricted during pregnancy. These animals also had improved glucose tolerance and decreased serum triacylglycerol. The aim of the present study was to determine whether these effects of maternal nutritional restriction, present in these animals at 3 months of age, can be observed in the same animals in ...

BACKGROUND There is evidence that maternal calcium supplementation may result in lower offspring blood pressure. We hypothesized that maternal calcium supplementation also influences other cardiovascular risk factors. METHODS In the Tasmanian Infant Health Study, supplements reportedly taken in pregnancy were recorded. Twin children of 147 participating mothers were seen at mean age 9 years. ...

Prenatal maternal distress is associated with an at-risk developmental profile, yet there is little fetal evidence of this putative in utero process. Moreover, the biological transmission for these maternal effects remains uncertain. In a study of n = 125 pregnant adolescents (ages 14-19), ambulatory assessments of daily negative mood (anger, frustration, irritation, stress), physical activity,...

BACKGROUND Iron deficiency is common during pregnancy. Experimental animal studies suggest that it increases cardiovascular risk in the offspring. OBJECTIVE To examine the relationship between maternal pregnancy dietary and supplement iron intake and hemoglobin, with offspring's arterial stiffness (measured by carotid-radial pulse wave velocity), endothelial function (measured by brachial art...

BACKGROUND Evidence suggests that increased maternal calcium intake during pregnancy may result in lower offspring blood pressure, prompting calls for more robust data in this field, particularly in settings of habitually low calcium intake. OBJECTIVE The objective was to investigate the effect of maternal calcium supplementation on blood pressure in offspring by recruiting children born afte...

Background: Evidence suggests that increased maternal calcium intake during pregnancy may result in lower offspring blood pressure, prompting calls for more robust data in this field, particularly in settings of habitually low calcium intake. Objective: The objective was to investigate the effect of maternal calcium supplementation on blood pressure in offspring by recruiting children born afte...