Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

Pregnancy as a Predictor of Maternal Cardiovascular Disease: The era of CardioObstetrics

Mamas; Wu

Authors



Abstract

Globally, cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of mortality in women accounting for 1 in 3 deaths. There remains an under recognition of cardiovascular disease as well as a lack of awareness of risk in women. Promotion of cardiovascular disease prevention is essential, but the current risk assessment tools do not incorporate any sex-specific cardiovascular risk factors. There is increasing recognition of sex-specific risk factors that appear during pregnancy that are associated with cardiovascular disease. These adverse pregnancy outcomes include preeclampsia, gestational hypertension, preterm birth, gestational diabetes, delivery of a small-for-gestational-age infant, miscarriage and high parity number. Although the underlying biological mechanism for these association remains to be elucidated, current international guidelines are beginning to recommend the inclusion of adverse pregnancy outcomes in the assessment of cardiovascular disease risk in women. This review summarizes the evidence for the association between adverse pregnancy outcomes and future cardiovascular disease. It also highlights the importance of considering adverse pregnancy outcomes in the cardiovascular risk assessment, specifically in young women, allowing for targeted lifestyle modifying interventions with the potential to alter their risk trajectory and improve their long-term cardiovascular health.

Acceptance Date May 31, 2019
Publication Date Aug 13, 2019
Journal Journal of Women's Health
Print ISSN 1540-9996
Publisher Mary Ann Liebert
Pages 1037-1050
DOI https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2018.7480
Keywords cardiovascular disease, pregnancy, gestational hypertension, preterm birth, gestational diabetes
Publisher URL https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/jwh.2018.7480