Pregnant women were 51% less likely to have ideal cardiovascular health compared to non-pregnant women (OR 0.49).
Cross-Sectional (n=3,580)
Does pregnancy status affect cardiovascular health as measured by the Life's Essential 8 score in women aged 20-44 years?
Pregnant women in the US have significantly lower cardiovascular health scores compared to non-pregnant women, driven primarily by poorer physical activity, blood lipids, and BMI.
Effect estimate: OR 0.49 (95% CI 0.31-0.77)
Abstract Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of mortality among pregnant women in the United States (US). This study assessed cardiovascular health (CVH) using the Life’s Essential 8 (LE8) score, which includes sleep, in a nationally representative sample of pregnant women aged 20–44 years without CVD using the 2011–2020 NHANES data. The cohort included an estimated 1.6 million pregnant and 34.5 million non-pregnant women. Pregnant women had lower mean LE8 scores 69.3(1.2) vs. 72.3(0.4), physical activity 42.7(3.9) vs. 56.2(1.3), blood lipids 61.8(3.4) vs. 79.4(0.6), BMI 54.4(3.2) vs. 60.5(1.0), and diet 43.7(2.5) vs. 43.8(0.7) than non-pregnant women. They were 51% less likely to have ideal CVH OR adj : 0.49 (95%CI: 0.31–0.77). The mean LE8 score in pregnant women was 71.0 (2.2) in 2011–2012 and 66.4 (1.5) in 2017–2020.
Yerabolu et al. (2026) conducted a cross-sectional in Cardiovascular health (n=3,580). Pregnancy vs. Non-pregnant women was evaluated on Ideal cardiovascular health (Life's Essential 8 score ≥80) (OR 0.49, 95% CI 0.31-0.77). Pregnant women were 51% less likely to have ideal cardiovascular health compared to non-pregnant women (OR 0.49).