Pregnancy complications and later vascular ultrasound measures: A cohort study

Abstract

Objectives Pregnancy complications predict or even predispose to later cardiovascular disease in the mother. We examined whether pregnancy complications are associated with post-pregnancy measures of endothelial dysfunction and arterial stiffness. Study design Prospective cohort; Data for 847 women female participants in the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study were linked with the national birth registry. Preterm birth (<37 weeks), low birthweight (<2500 g), small-for-gestational-age (weight <10th percentile for gestational age), and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy were examined as predictors of later vascular measures. Main outcome measures Flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), Young’s elastic modulus (YEM), and carotid artery distensibility Results In some analyses, gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia were associated with increased YEM. Low birthweight was also associated with an increase in IMT, and this increased risk was present prior to the pregnancy. Conclusions The increased cardiovascular risk in the mother observed after low birthweight and hypertensive disorders may be due to vascular changes, and some of this increased risk may be present before pregnancy.

Highlighting the Mechanistic Relationship Between Perinatal Depression and Preeclampsia: A Scoping Review

“…57 , 58 Prenatal measurements of flow-mediated dilation have been reported to be impaired in pregnant women with established PE or those who develop PE later in pregnancy when compared with women with normotensive pregnancies. 49 , 50 , 59–61 …”

Sports participation and adiposity do not mediate the relationship between birth weight and arterial thickness in adolescents: ABCD Growth Study

“…In terms of why there were no significant results for CIMT, this finding is different from those one observed in adults, in which birth weight is related to increased CIMT. 34,37 The significant result observed only for femoral artery might be attributed to the fact that this artery has increased oscillation in wall shear rates than other arteries, which increases the propensity to atherosclerotic events in this artery bed. 38,39 Another limitation of the study should be recognised.…”