Is spontaneous preterm delivery associated with impaired arterial stiffness at 6 months postpartum?

Background: Spontaneous preterm delivery (sPTD) is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), but the mechanistic pathways are not understood. Objectives: Assess arterial wave reflection and stiffness over time in women with sPTD compared to term delivery. Methods: = 33) compared arterial wave reflection and stiffness by heart rate corrected augmentation index (AIx75), central pulse pressure (CPP), and pulse wave velocity (PWV). No significant differences in AIx75 at 6 months postpartum were seen between sPTD and controls (26.27 ± 9.79 vs. 26.94 ± 12.95,). Conclusions: Women with sPTD had no significant change in AIx75 while term delivery demonstrated significant decreases at 6 months postpartum. This may contribute to mechanistic pathway and future CVD risk understanding for women with sPTD. Further research is warranted to assess if the physiology of full-term pregnancy is beneficial in augmenting vascular function, demonstrating that the timing of delivery is not a confounding variable.