Placental morphology and the prediction of underlying cardiovascular risk factors.

Objective: Pre-eclampsia is associated with an increased risk of future cardiovascular disease. Maladaptive placentation or malperfusion, as well as predisposing cardiovascular or metabolic risk for endothelial dysfunction, contribute to the systemic inflammatory response that establishes the origins of the disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between placental size and cardiovascular risk when assessed at six months postpartum in women who experienced pre-eclampsia.

Emphysema on Thoracic CT and Exercise Ventilatory Inefficiency in Mild-to-Moderate COPD.

There is growing evidence that emphysema on thoracic computed tomography (CT) is associated with poor exercise tolerance in COPD patients with only mild-to-moderate airflow obstruction. We hypothesized that an excessive ventilatory response to exercise (ventilatory inefficiency) would underlie these abnormalities. In a prospective study, 19 patients (FEV = 82 ± 13%, 12 Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) stage 1) and 26 controls underwent an incremental exercise test.