Key result
Prior severe pre-eclampsia linked to ~20% lower VO2peak at 7 years vs. healthy controls.
Why the study?
Cardiorespiratory fitness, physical activity, and the limiting factors of exercise intolerance associated with poor cardiorespiratory fitness after severe pre-eclampsia had not been objectively evaluated.
Does a history of severe pre-eclampsia associate with lower cardiorespiratory fitness and physical activity levels in women at long-term follow-up?
Cross-Sectional (n=97)
No
Does a history of severe pre-eclampsia associate with lower cardiorespiratory fitness and physical activity levels in women at long-term follow-up?
Women with a history of severe pre-eclampsia demonstrated significantly reduced cardiorespiratory fitness, altered cardiac function, and lower physical activity levels 7 years postpartum.
Reduced fitness 7 years after severe pre-eclampsia warrants prospective evaluation; leaves open whether exercise interventions alter long-term cardiovascular risk.
Aims To objectively study cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and physical activity (PA) and to evaluate limiting factors of exercise intolerance associated with poor CRF after severe pre-eclampsia.Methods In this single-centre, cross-sectional study, CRF was measured as peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) during a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) on a treadmill in women 7 years after severe pre-eclampsia. Ninety-six patients and 65 controls were eligible to participate. Cardiac output (CO) was measured by impedance cardiography. PA was measured using accelerometers.Results In 62 patients and 35 controls (mean age 40 ± 3 years), the VO2peak (in mL·kg–1·min–1) values were 31.4 ± 7.2 and 39.1 ± 5.4, respectively (p<0.01). In the patients, the COpeak was (9.6 L·min-1), 16% lower compared to controls (p<0.01). Twelve patients (19%) had a cardiac limitation to CPET. Twenty-three (37%) patients and one (3%) control were classed as unfit, with no cardiopulmonary limitations. The patients demonstrated 25% lower PA level (in counts per minute; p<0.01) and 14% more time being sedentary (p<0.01), compared with the controls. Twenty-one patients (34%) compared with four (17%) controls did not meet the World Health Organization’s recommendations for PA (p=0.02). Body mass index and PA level accounted for 65% of the variability in VO2peak.Conclusion Significantly lower CRF and PA levels were found in patients on long-term follow-up after severe pre-eclampsia. CPET identified cardiovascular limitations in one third of patients. One third appeared unfit, with adiposity and lower PA levels. These findings highlight the need for clinical follow-up and exercise interventions after severe pre-eclampsia.
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Grønningsæter et al. (2023) conducted a cross-sectional in Severe pre-eclampsia (n=97). Severe pre-eclampsia vs. Previous healthy pregnancies was evaluated on Cardiorespiratory fitness (peak oxygen uptake, VO2peak in mL·kg–1·min–1) (p=<0.01). Women evaluated 7 years after severe pre-eclampsia had significantly lower cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2peak 31.4 vs 39.1 mL·kg–1·min–1, p<0.01) compared with healthy controls.
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