Abstract / Description: 

Background-óAssessing and optimizing cardiovascular health (CVH) early in life, such as in pregnancy, could lead to a longerlifetime spent in better CVH and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. This might especially benefit women with a hypertensivedisorder of pregnancy (HDP) who are more likely to develop atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. We hypothesized that CVHin pregnancy is related to later life CVH and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), and that these associations differ betweenwomen with a normotensive pregnancy and women with an HDP. This study was conducted within the prospective population-based Generation R Study. Conclusions-óAlready in pregnancy, better CVH is associated with a smaller CIMT and better CVH 10 years postpartum, especiallyin women with an HDP. As pregnancy is an incentive for women to improve lifestyle, assessing CVH in pregnancy might help improve postpartum CVH and reduce cardiovascular disease risk

Collection: 
eCardio Hub Collection
Category: 
Cardio-Obstetrics
Date: 
2019
Author: 
Laura Benschop, MD, PhD; Sarah Schalekamp-Timmermans, MD, PhD; Sara J. C. Schelling, MD; Eric A. P. Steegers, MD, PhD; Jeanine E. Roeters van Lennep, MD, PhD