news release
Tuesday, October 10, 2023
NIH-supported research provides a broader understanding of how cardiovascular disease risk manifests after pregnancy.
According to a study published in It was said that there was a significant association with circulation research It was funded by the National Institutes of Health. Researchers know that obesity is a risk factor for blood pressure-related cardiovascular disease and pregnancy complications. However, it was not known whether obesity or pregnancy complications had a greater impact on a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease years after pregnancy.
Although adverse pregnancy outcomes are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease during pregnancy, comorbidities accounted for only a small portion of the increased risk of cardiovascular disease in the years after pregnancy in obese patients.
“Certain pregnancy complications have been identified and are known to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, such as pre-existing obesity. This study shows that overweight or obese people who are considering pregnancy “This study provides insight into the timing of potential interventions for patients,” said study author Victoria L. Pemberton, RNC, a researcher in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Division of Cardiovascular Sciences. Institute (NHLBI), part of the NIH.
Researchers analyzed data collected from the nuMoM2b Heart Health Study, which included more than 4,200 first-time mothers. About half of them were overweight or obese. They compared the participants’ pregnancy experiences and their health status two to seven years later. Researchers found that mothers who were overweight or obese during early pregnancy had about twice the risk of developing gestational diabetes or having a pregnancy complicated by high blood pressure compared to normal weight participants. did. These mothers also had an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease after pregnancy.
By comparison, pregnancy complicated by hypertension explains only 13% of the risk of developing future hypertension in the presence of obesity. Similarly, gestational diabetes explained only 10% of future diabetes risk.
“We want to do everything we can to support people’s heart health, but especially around the time of pregnancy, before pregnancy, during pregnancy and early pregnancy.” said Sadiya S. Khan, M.D., a preventive cardiologist and the study’s principal investigator. Associate Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. “That includes achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, knowing your heart health numbers, and finding ways to stay physically active.”
Researchers found that weight was not factored into the risk for some complications. For example, people who were overweight or obese did not have an increased risk of giving birth prematurely or having a low birth weight baby. Additionally, the researchers found that among all participants, those who had a preterm birth had a higher risk of developing high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol in the years after pregnancy. Babies born with low birth weight have not been found to be at increased risk.
“For people who experience unexpected pregnancy outcomes, it remains paramount to look for ways to support and optimize that person’s cardiovascular health,” Khan said. “But if we really want to make a difference in terms of improving cardiovascular health and preventing these pregnancy outcomes, we need to move into the preconception and early pregnancy space.”
Learn about heart health and pregnancy at https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/education-and-awareness/heart-truth/listen-to-your-heart/heart-health-and- See pregnancy. .
This research was supported by NHLBI grant R01 HL161514.of Eunice Kennedy Shriver Additional support was provided by the National Institute for Child Health and Development, the National Center for the Advancement of Translational Sciences, the Women’s Health Research Agency, and the Office of Disease Prevention.
About the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI): NHLBI is a world leader in conducting and supporting research in heart, lung, and blood diseases and sleep disorders that advances scientific knowledge, improves public health, and saves lives. For more information, please visit https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH):The nation’s medical research agency, NIH, has 27 institutes and centers and is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency that conducts and supports basic, clinical, and translational medical research, investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, please visit www.nih.gov.
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study
Khan SS, Petito LC, Huang X, et al. BMI, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and cardiovascular disease risk. Circulation research 2023; doi: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.123.322762.
