What question did this study set out to answer?

To evaluate maternal cardiovascular function across pregnancy and postpartum while accounting for concurrent changes in loading conditions, cardiac geometry, and maternal anthropometrics.

January 26, 2016HypertensionOpen Access

Maternal Cardiovascular Function in Normal Pregnancy

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Population

559 nulliparous pregnant women

Design

Cross-sectional

Follow-up

1 year postpartum

Authors

KMK. MelchiorreOspedale di Santo Spirito RSRajan SharmaNorthwell Health AKAsma KhalilRoyal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Transient diastolic dysfunction in late pregnancy resolves by 1 year; hypothesis-generating for future cardiovascular risk prediction.

Key Points

To evaluate maternal cardiovascular function across pregnancy and postpartum while accounting for concurrent changes in loading conditions, cardiac geometry, and maternal anthropometrics.
Prospective cross-sectional assessment of 559 nulliparous pregnant women examined across four gestational time points and at 1 year postpartum.
Cardiovascular function evaluated using conventional echocardiography, tissue Doppler velocity imaging, and strain rate analysis at multiple myocardial sites.
Mean arterial pressure and total vascular resistance index significantly decreased in the first two trimesters (both P<0.001) before increasing, whereas stroke volume index and cardiac index followed the inverse trajectory (both P<0.05).
At term, chamber diastolic dysfunction occurred in 17.9% of women and impaired myocardial relaxation in 28.4% despite preserved myocardial contractility, with complete normalization by 1 year postpartum.

Structured PICO

Population

559 nulliparous pregnant women

Outcome

Cardiac functional status (including mean arterial pressure, total vascular resistance index, stroke volume index, cardiac index, and myocardial/ventricular function) assessed via conventional echocardiography, tissue Doppler velocities, and strain rate analysissurrogate

Normal pregnancy is associated with transient cardiovascular changes that can include impaired myocardial relaxation and diastolic dysfunction at term, suggesting a physiological maladaptation to volume overload that fully recovers postpartum.

Cite This Study

Melchiorre et al. (2016) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69d575285f8349d3f7ad4fee https://doi.org/10.1161/hypertensionaha.115.06667

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Maternal Cardiovascular Function in Normal Pregnancy

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Structured PICO

Cite This Study

Maternal Cardiovascular Function in Normal Pregnancy

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Structured PICO

Cite This Study

Also Consider

Also Consider