Complications during pregnancy (or undesirable effects of pregnancy), such as gestational diabetes and the recently developed high blood pressure, act as a test of nature stress and may reveal the risk of a person’s heart disease later in life, according to a new study published in The JaccThe flagship magazine of the American College of Cardiology. The study also emphasizes how weight management before pregnancy can not only improve mother’s health but also reduce the future risk of cardiovascular disease.
The observation study, which has followed the results for women for more than 10 years, helps answer a key question: if pregnancy complications contribute to cardiovascular risk or are simply an indicator for the underlying risk factors that existed throughout.
Understanding the connection between adverse pregnancy results and cardiovascular disease is important for developing effective preventive strategies and identifying the best time for intervention to support long -term heart health. “
Jaclyn Borrowman, PhD, researcher at Northwestern University and lead author of the study
Pregnancy is often considered a “window” in future health, as complications during pregnancy can reveal the underlying risks to chronic diseases, BORROWMAN notes. The adverse effects of pregnancy affect about 20% of all pregnancies in the United States and are known to increase the risk of later cardiovascular disease by two to four times.
For the study, the researchers attended 4,269 pregnant women in nine countries, following the results of over 10 to 14 years. They looked at the measurements for blood pressure, triglycerides, fasting glucose and A1C hemoglobin, comparing participants with overweight or obesity with those who had a normal BMI. Secondary results included a frequency of hypertension or diabetes when monitoring average life.
They found that the adverse effects of pregnancy contributed significantly to the relationship between overweight or obesity and obesity and cardiovascular risk in middle life. In addition, different types of complications affect different health risks. Specifically, pregnancy diabetes enhanced the risk for higher glucose and hemoglobin A1C, while hypertensive disorders contributed to the risk of high blood pressure in middle life.
Browman noted that, although these complications of pregnancy helped explain the relationship between weight before pregnancy and risk of heart disease, they also did not represent most of the connection factors.
“The study highlights the importance of adverse pregnancy effects as a risk enhancement factor for cardiovascular disease,” Borrowman said. “Our results also indicate that priority in weight management between those who consider pregnancy can promote both mother and future cardiovascular health.”
In a accompanying editorial commentary, Garima Sharma, MD, director of preventive cardiology and women’s cardiovascular health in the Inova Health System, said the study provides “insightful information” that could help with guidance, counseling and management.
“The results of the study emphasize the value in the treatment of excessive grease in the period before pregnancy and after childbirth, especially as there are options with emerging therapies such as new obesity drugs,” he said.
Sharma added that the findings also emphasize the need to study the safety and effectiveness of these drugs in pregnant and lactating women, who have historically been excluded from clinical trials.
As a follow -up, Browman said that researchers are studying the relationship between early pregnancy of cardiovascular health and the incidence of complications, with the aim of identifying possible interventions that could improve mother’s health and reduce cardiovascular disease.
The document, “Pregnancy, the adverse effects of pregnancy and the risk of cardiovascular disease in the middle life” and the syntactic comment, “maternal obesity and negative effects of pregnancy as pregnant women’s 20th, 20th of life,” Jacc.
