We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress
Sign In
Advertise with Us

Download Mobile App




Pregnancy Complications Raise Heart Disease Risk

By HospiMedica International staff writers
Posted on 29 Sep 2015
Print article
A new study suggests a high correlation between women who experienced complications during pregnancy and those facing death from heart disease later in life.

Researchers at the Public Health Institute (PHI; Oakland, CA, USA; Berkeley, CA) conducted a study involving 14,062 women, examining pregnancy events over five decades (1959–1967) and CVD death through 2011 in order to identify the combination of pregnancy complications that predict risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) death, and how these risk changes with age. CVD death was determined by linkage to California Vital Statistics and to the US National Death Index. The women were a median age of 26 years at enrollment and 66 years old in 2011.

The results showed that delivery of a small-for-gestation or preterm infant and early-onset preeclampsia (by week 34) significantly predicted premature CVD death. Preterm birth combined with hemorrhage, gestational hypertension, or pre-existing hypertension identified women with a 4- to 7-fold increased risk of CVD death. And preeclampsia in combination with pre-existing hypertension conferred a significant 6-fold risk, compared to a 4-fold risk for pre-existing hypertension alone.

The study also established two new conditions that could indicate future heart disease: glycosuria, or high levels of sugar in urine, entailed a 4.2-times greater risk, while hemoglobin decline over the second and third trimesters increased CVD risk of 1.7 times. Overall, 6%–8% of women developed gestational hypertension; 5%–8% of women developed preeclampsia; and 2%–5% of the women developed gestational diabetes. The study was published on September 21, 2015, in Circulation.

“We observed combinations of pregnancy complications that predict high risk of death and two new risk markers, glycosuria and hemoglobin decline,” concluded study authors Piera Cirillo, MPH, and Barbara Cohn, PhD, of the PHI Child Health and Development Studies (CHDS) unit. “Obstetricians serve as primary care physicians for many young women and can readily use these complications to identify high-risk women to implement early prevention.”

Related Links:
Public Health Institute


Gold Member
Solid State Kv/Dose Multi-Sensor
AGMS-DM+
Gold Member
12-Channel ECG
CM1200B
Silver Member
Compact 14-Day Uninterrupted Holter ECG
NR-314P
New
Computed Tomography (CT) Scanner
Aquilion Serve SP

Print article

Channels

Critical Care

view channel
Image: Researchers have developed a novel risk score for cardiovascular complications after bone marrow transplant (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Novel Tool Predicts Cardiovascular Risks after Bone Marrow Transplantation

Every year, thousands of people undergo bone marrow transplants to potentially cure serious diseases like leukemia, lymphoma, and immune deficiency disorders. While these transplants can be lifesaving,... Read more

Surgical Techniques

view channel
Image: The Early Bird Bleed Monitoring System provides visual and audible indicators of the onset and progression of bleeding events (Photo courtesy of Saranas)

Novel Technology Monitors and Lowers Bleeding Complications in Patients Undergoing Heart Procedures

Bleeding complications at the femoral access site can significantly hamper recovery, affecting the success of procedures, patient satisfaction, and overall healthcare costs. It is crucial for surgeons... Read more

Health IT

view channel
Image: First ever institution-specific model provides significant performance advantage over current population-derived models (Photo courtesy of Mount Sinai)

Machine Learning Model Improves Mortality Risk Prediction for Cardiac Surgery Patients

Machine learning algorithms have been deployed to create predictive models in various medical fields, with some demonstrating improved outcomes compared to their standard-of-care counterparts.... Read more

Point of Care

view channel
Image: The new eye-safe laser technology can diagnose traumatic brain injury (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Novel Diagnostic Hand-Held Device Detects Known Biomarkers for Traumatic Brain Injury

The growing need for prompt and efficient diagnosis of traumatic brain injury (TBI), a major cause of mortality globally, has spurred the development of innovative diagnostic technologies.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.