Abstract
The maternal cardiovascular system undergoes profound changes to support the increasing
demands of fetal growth during pregnancy. An accumulating body of evidence has shown
that common pregnancy complications, including gestational diabetes mellitus, preeclampsia,
low birth weight, and preterm delivery, can be associated with future cardiovascular
adverse events in mothers. Factors such as glucose metabolism, hyperlipidemia, inflammatory
markers, and large- and small-vessel stiffness/functionality have been linked with
these pregnancy conditions. Critically, there are no established guidelines to account
for these maternal factors when considering future cardiovascular disease risk, one
of the leading causes of female mortality. This article reviews the study of cardiovascular
disease and pregnancy, and proposes possible connections that should spur future investigation
in an area of medicine that requires significant research.
Keywords
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: December 11, 2018
Footnotes
Funding: None.
Conflict of Interest: The authors report no relationships that could be construed as a conflict of interest.
Authorship: This manuscript is an original review article that has not been published prior, and all of the authors participated in the preparation of this manuscript.
Identification
Copyright
© 2019 Published by Elsevier Inc.
