During normotensive pregnancy, most cardiac geometric indices change from the second trimester onwards. Both LVM and RWT increase, by 20% and 10%, respectively, consistent with concentric rather than eccentric remodeling. Cardiac adaptation in hypertensive pregnancy deviates from that in healthy pregnancy by a greater change in LVM (95% increase from reference) and RWT (56% increase from reference). Copyright © 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Years after pregnancy, formerly pre- eclamptic women have lower FMD and have HF-B more often compared with healthy parous controls. Nonetheless, HF-B was not related to reduced FMD. Copyright © 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

(Abstracted from Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2018;52:196–204) Preeclampsia (PE) is associated with both postpartum endothelial dysfunction and asymptomatic structural heart alterations consistent with heart failure stage B (HF-B). This study assessed the relationship between endothelial function, along with components of metabolic syndrome, and asymptomatic structural heart dysfunction in formerly preeclamptic women and healthy parous controls.