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Kimberly Kuiper Clinical Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands

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Hanna Swaab Clinical Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands

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Nicole Tartaglia eXtraordinarY Kids Clinic, Developmental Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado
Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado

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Sophie van Rijn Clinical Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands

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The presence of an additional X or Y chromosome (sex chromosome trisomies, SCT) is associated with an increased risk for neurodevelopmental difficulties, including socio-emotional problems, across the life span. Studying emotion regulation in young children with SCT could signal deviations in emotional development that serve as risk markers to guide clinical care. This study explored the presence and variety of emotion regulation strategies in 75 SCT children and 81 population-based controls, aged 1–7 years, during a frustration-inducing event in which physiological (heart rate) and observational data (behavioral responses) were collected. Children with SCT were equally physiologically aroused by the event as compared to controls. However, they showed more emotion regulation difficulties in terms of behavior compared to controls that were not explicable in terms of differences in general intellectual functioning. Specifically, they had a more limited range of behavioral alternatives and tended to rely longer on inefficient strategies with increasing age. The field of practice should be made aware of these early risk findings regarding emotion regulation in SCT, which may potentially lay the foundation for later socio-emotional problems, given the significant impact of emotion regulation on child and adult mental health outcomes. The current results may help to design tailored interventions to reduce the impact of the additional sex chromosome on adaptive functioning, psychopathology, and quality of life.

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Charissa van Zwol-Janssens Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands

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Aglaia Hage Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands

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Kim van der Ham Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands

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Birgitta K Velthuis Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands

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Ricardo P J Budde Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands

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Maria P H Koster Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands

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Arie Franx Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands

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Bart C J M Fauser Department of Reproductive Medicine and Gynaecology, University Medical Center Utrecht & University of Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands

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Eric Boersma Department of Cardiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands

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Daniel Bos Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands

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Joop S E Laven Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands

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Yvonne V Louwers Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands

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the CREW consortium
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the CREW consortium

Besides age, estrogen exposure plays a crucial role in changes in bone density (BD) in women. Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are conditions in reproductive-aged women in which the exposure to estrogen is substantially different. Women with a history of preeclampsia (PE) are expected to have normal estrogen exposure. Within the CREw-IMAGO study, we investigated if trabecular BD is different in these women because of differences in the duration of estrogen exposure. Trabecular BD was measured in thoracic vertebrae on coronary CT scans. Women with a reduced estrogen exposure (POI) have a lower BD compared to women with an intermediate exposure (PE) (mean difference (MD) −26.8, 95% CI −37.2 to −16.3). Women with a prolonged estrogen exposure (PCOS) have the highest BD (MD 15.0, 95% CI 4.3–25.7). These results support the hypothesis that the duration of estrogen exposure in these women is associated with trabecular BD.

Significance statement

Our results suggest that middle-aged women with PCOS have a higher BD and women with POI have a lower BD. We hypothesized that this is due to either a prolonged estrogen exposure, as seen in women with PCOS, or a reduced estrogen exposure, as in women with POI. In the counseling of women with reproductive disorders on long-term health issues, coronary CT provides a unique opportunity to assess both coronary artery calcium score for cardiovascular screening as well as trabecular BD.

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Milou Cecilia Madsen Department of Internal Medicine and Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

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Martin den Heijer Department of Internal Medicine and Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

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Claudia Pees Walaeus Library, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands

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Nienke R Biermasz Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands

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Leontine E H Bakker Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands

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Testosterone therapy is the cornerstone in the care of men with hypogonadism and transgender males. Gel and intramuscular injections are most frequently used and are registered and included in the international guidelines. The specific preparation should be selected according to the patient’s preference, cost, availability, and formulation-specific properties. As the majority of men with hypogonadism and transgender males require lifelong treatment with testosterone, it is important to utilize a regimen that is effective, safe, inexpensive, and convenient to use with optimal mimicking of the physiological situation. This systematic review reviews current literature on differences between the three most used testosterone preparations in adult men with hypogonadism and transgender males. Although it appeared hardly any comparative studies have been carried out, there are indications of differences between the preparations, for example, on the stability of testosterone levels, hematocrit, bone mineral density, and patient satisfaction. However, there are no studies on the effects of testosterone replacement on endpoints such as cardiovascular disease in relation to hematocrit or osteoporotic fractures in relation to bone mineral density. The effect of testosterone therapy on health-related quality of life is strongly underexposed in the reviewed studies, while this is a highly relevant outcome measure from a patient perspective. In conclusion, current recommendations on testosterone treatment appear to be based on data primarily from non-randomized clinical studies and observational studies. The availability of reliable comparative data between the different preparations will assist in the process of individual decision-making to choose the most suitable formula.

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Panagiotis Anagnostis Unit of Reproductive Endocrinology, 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece

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Irene Lambrinoudaki 2nd Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Athens, Greece

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John C Stevenson National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK

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Dimitrios G Goulis Unit of Reproductive Endocrinology, 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece

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Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is of major concern in women entering menopause. The changing hormonal milieu predisposes them to increased CVD risk, due to a constellation of risk factors, such as visceral obesity, atherogenic dyslipidemia, dysregulation in glucose homeostasis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and arterial hypertension. However, an independent association of menopause per se with increased risk of CVD events has only been proven for early menopause (<45 years). Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) ameliorates most of the CVD risk factors mentioned above. Transdermal estrogens are the preferable regimen, since they do not increase triglyceride concentrations and they are not associated with increased risk of venous thromboembolic events (VTE). Although administration of MHT should be considered on an individual basis, MHT may reduce CVD morbidity and mortality, if commenced during the early postmenopausal period (<60 years or within ten years since the last menstrual period). In women with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), MHT should be administered at least until the average age of menopause (50–52 years). MHT is contraindicated in women with a history of VTE and is not currently recommended for the sole purpose of CVD prevention. The risk of breast cancer associated with MHT is generally low and is mainly conferred by the progestogen. Micronized progesterone and dydrogesterone are associated with lower risk compared to other progestogens.

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Mette Bøgehave Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Hospital South West Jutland, University Hospital of Southern Denmark, Esbjerg, Denmark
Unit for Thrombosis Research, Department of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark

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Dorte Glintborg Department of Endocrinology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
OPEN, Open Patient data Explorative Network, Odense University Hospital, Region of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark

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Jørgen Brodersen Gram Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Hospital South West Jutland, University Hospital of Southern Denmark, Esbjerg, Denmark
Unit for Thrombosis Research, Department of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark

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Else-Marie Bladbjerg Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Hospital South West Jutland, University Hospital of Southern Denmark, Esbjerg, Denmark
Unit for Thrombosis Research, Department of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark

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Marianne Skovsager Andersen Department of Endocrinology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark

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Johannes Jakobsen Sidelmann Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Hospital South West Jutland, University Hospital of Southern Denmark, Esbjerg, Denmark
Unit for Thrombosis Research, Department of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark

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Introduction

Hypogonadism is prevalent during opioid treatment, and low testosterone concentrations are associated with cardiovascular disease. The effect of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) on the coagulation system in men with hypogonadism is not clarified. We investigate the effects of TRT on the tissue factor (TF) and contact activation pathways of coagulation in opioid-treated men.

Materials and methods

This was a double-blinded, placebo-controlled study in 37 men with total testosterone < 12 nmol/L randomized to 24 weeks of testosterone injections (n = 17) or placebo (n = 20). Variables of the coagulation system were analysed at baseline and after 24 weeks. Measurements included the TF pathway (endogenous thrombin potential (ETP) and peak thrombin), the contact activation pathway (endogenous kallikrein potential (EKP) and peak kallikrein), coagulation factors (FVII, FX, prothrombin, and FXII), and inhibitors (tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI), protein C, protein S, antithrombin, and C1 esterase inhibitor (C1inh)). Between-group differences at 24 weeks were determined with analysis of covariance. Within-group changes in TRT and placebo were analysed with paired t-test.

Results

Between-group differences at 24 weeks were observed for ETP (P = 0.036), FVII (P = 0.044), FX (P = 0.015), prothrombin (P = 0.003), protein C (P = 0.004), and protein S (P = 0.038). Within the TRT group, ETP, peak thrombin, FVII, FX, prothrombin, TFPI, protein C, FXII, and C1inh decreased and protein S increased (all P < 0.05). Within the placebo group, coagulation outcomes were unchanged.

Conclusion

TRT affects the coagulation system in an anticoagulant direction through suppressed TF pathway in men with opioid-induced hypogonadism.

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Anna C van der Burgh Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands

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Samer R Khan Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands

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Sebastian J C M M Neggers Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands

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Ewout J Hoorn Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands

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Layal Chaker Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands

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Objective/design

Testosterone might mediate sex differences in kidney function and chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, few studies analyzing the association between testosterone and kidney function showed conflicting results. Therefore, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods

Six electronic databases were searched from inception to March 4, 2020, for studies that investigated the association of (i) testosterone status with kidney function in the general population or (ii) testosterone status with clinical outcomes (kidney function decline, kidney failure, cardiovascular (CV) events, and cardiovascular and all-cause mortality) in CKD patients. We used random and fixed-effect models to obtain pooled effect estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

No randomized–controlled trials that met the inclusion criteria were identified. One study was conducted in the general population and reported an increased risk of incident CKD with low vs normal testosterone (hazard ratio (HR): 1.38, 95% CI: 1.05;1.80). Seven studies were conducted in men with CKD and included testosterone as determinant, of which six could be meta-analyzed. Low testosterone was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality and CV events (pooled HR: 1.98, 95% CI: 1.36;2.89; pooled HR of 2.40, 95% CI: 1.22;4.71, respectively). Two studies showed an increased risk of all-cause mortality with decreased dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) in men with CKD; results regarding CV events were conflicting.

Conclusions

Although literature is scarce, evidence suggests that lower testosterone may increase CKD risk in the general population and risk of all-cause mortality and CV events in men with CKD. Whether testosterone supplementation could prevent these potential detrimental outcomes should be determined in future intervention studies.

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Małgorzata Więcek Department of Pediatrics and Pediatric Endocrinology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland

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Jakub Gawlik Student Scientific Society at the Department of Pathophysiology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland

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Zuzanna Nowak Student Scientific Society at the Department of Pathophysiology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland

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Aneta Gawlik Department of Pediatrics and Pediatric Endocrinology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland

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Loss of fertility is one of the most important concerns facing Turner syndrome (TS) patients as they transition into adult health care. Due to the limited and rapidly decreasing ovarian reserve, many TS patients require fertility preservation (FP) techniques to preserve their reproductive potential until they are ready to pursue procreation. One has to also remember about the additional risks connected with pregnancy in TS patients. In order to determine the optimal time for introducing FP techniques and decrease the chance of an unnecessary intervention, markers and procedures assessing ovarian reserve have been developed. The exposure to potential cardiovascular complications should be determined before FP to avoid unnecessary procedures in patients with potential contraindications to pregnancy. The aim of the present review is to answer the following three questions important for successful preservation of fertility and safe pregnancy in TS: which markers of ovarian reserve should be used as selection criteria for FP? Which methods of FP are the safest and most effective? Are there any cardiovascular contraindications to FP? For each of those questions, separate literature searches have been conducted. A total of 86 articles have been included in this review: 34 for the first question, 35 for the second, and 17 for the third. Ovarian reserve markers and cardiovascular contraindications to pregnancy should be established before FP; hoverer, there are no unambiguous indicators as to which patients should be disqualified from the FP and more evidence is needed in this subject.

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Shanlee M Davis Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
eXtraOrdinarY Kids Clinic, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA

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Rhianna Urban Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA

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Angelo D’Alessandro Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA

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Julie A Reisz Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA

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Christine L Chan Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA

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Megan Kelsey Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA

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Susan Howell Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
eXtraOrdinarY Kids Clinic, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA

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Nicole Tartaglia Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
eXtraOrdinarY Kids Clinic, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA

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Philip Zeitler Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
eXtraOrdinarY Kids Clinic, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA

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Peter Baker II Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA

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Conditions related to cardiometabolic disease, including metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes, are common among men with Klinefelter syndrome (KS). The molecular mechanisms underlying this aberrant metabolism in KS are largely unknown, although there is an assumption that chronic testosterone deficiency plays a role. This cross-sectional study compared plasma metabolites in 31 pubertal adolescent males with KS to 32 controls of similar age (14 ± 2 years), pubertal stage, and body mass index z-score of 0.1 ± 1.2 and then between testosterone-treated (n = 16) and untreated males with KS. The plasma metabolome in males with KS was distinctly different from that in controls, with 22% of measured metabolites having a differential abundance and seven metabolites nearly completely separating KS from controls (area under the curve > 0.9, P < 0.0001). Multiple saturated free fatty acids were higher in KS, while mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids were lower, and the top significantly enriched pathway was mitochondrial β-oxidation of long-chain saturated fatty acids (enrichment ratio 16, P < 0.0001). In contrast, there were no observed differences in metabolite concentrations between testosterone-treated and untreated individuals with KS. In conclusion, the plasma metabolome profile in adolescent males with KS is distinctly different from that in males without KS independent of age, obesity, pubertal development, or testosterone treatment status and is suggestive of differences in mitochondrial β-oxidation.

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Theodoros Karampitsakos Third Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, ATTIKON University Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
Unit of Endocrinology, Diabetes Mellitus and Metabolism, ARETAIEION University Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

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Fotini Kanouta Unit of Endocrinology, Diabetes Mellitus and Metabolism, First Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, ALEXANDRA University Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
Unit of Endocrinology, Diabetes Mellitus and Metabolism, ARETAIEION University Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

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Christos Chatzakis Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, IPPOKRATEIO General Hospital of Thessaloniki, Aristotle, University of Thessaloniki, Athens, Greece

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Vassilios Bakoulas Athens, Greece

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Alexandros Gryparis Department of Speech and Language Therapy, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
Unit of Endocrinology, Diabetes Mellitus and Metabolism, ARETAIEION University Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

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Petros Drakakis Third Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, ATTIKON University Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

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Djuro Macut Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Diseases of Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
Unit of Endocrinology, Diabetes Mellitus and Metabolism, ARETAIEION University Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

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George Mastorakos Unit of Endocrinology, Diabetes Mellitus and Metabolism, ARETAIEION University Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

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Introduction

To investigate whether synthetic (s) glucocorticoids (GCs) administered between the 24th and the 34th gestational weeks in pre-term labor might precipitate labor, studies on sGCs administration were reviewed. The physiology of endogenous glucocorticoid-related increase in fetal–maternal circulation and its association with labor, followed by a scoping review of studies on exogenous sGCs administered for fetal lung maturation and the timing of labor, were included.

Materials and methods

The methodology of systematic reviews was followed. MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar databases were searched until October 2023, for original studies investigating the administration of sGCs in pregnancies risking pre-term labor. Duplicates were removed, and 1867 abstracts were excluded as irrelevant. Six controlled and four non-controlled studies were included. The index group consisted of 6001 subjects and 7691 controls in the former, while in the latter, the index group consisted of 2069 subjects.

Results

In three out of the six controlled studies, gestational age at labor was significantly lower in sGC-treated women than in controls, while in three studies, gestational age at labor was lower in sGC-treated women than in controls, with a trend toward statistical significance. In one study, gestational age at labor was significantly lower in controls than in sGC-treated women. In the non-controlled studies, the majority of women delivered less than 1 week from the day of sGC administration.

Conclusions

In this scoping review, studies lack homogeneity. However, in the controlled studies, a pattern of earlier labor emerges among sGC-treated pregnant women. The use of multiple courses of antenatal sGCs appears to be associated with precipitated labor. Their use should be carefully weighed. Carefully designed trials should examine this ongoing scientific query.

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