Key result
Pulse wave velocity was significantly elevated in pregnant women with preeclampsia (MD 0.67; 95% CI 0.51-0.83; P<0.00001), hypertension, and diabetes.
Why the study?
The association between pulse wave velocity, an established measure of arterial stiffness, and pregnancy-associated diseases remained unclear.
Is pulse wave velocity elevated in pregnant women with pregnancy-associated diseases compared to healthy pregnant women?
Meta-Analysis (n=6,488)
Is pulse wave velocity elevated in pregnant women with pregnancy-associated diseases compared to healthy pregnant women?
Mean Difference: 0.67 (95% CI 0.51–0.83)
p-value: p=< 0.00001
Pulse wave velocity is significantly elevated in pregnant women with pregnancy-associated diseases, suggesting its potential utility as a routine clinical parameter for cardiovascular risk assessment during pregnancy.
May support PWV as a CV risk marker in complicated pregnancies; leaves open prospective validation before routine adoption.
Background: Maintaining healthy vascular structure and function is important for a healthy pregnancy. Obesity is a well-known predictor for poor postoperative outcomes of vascular surgery. However, the association between pulse wave velocity (PWV), a well-recognized parameter for arterial stiffness assessment, and pregnancy-associated diseases is still unclear. Therefore, we conducted this systematic review, and a meta-analysis was performed to assess the relevant associations. Methods: We systematically searched the Web of Science and PubMed databases to obtain articles on PWV and pregnancy-associated diseases published before April 2023. The mean with standard deviation was used to assess the differences in PWV in pregnant women with or without relevant diseases. Subgroup analysis was conducted according to specific types of PWV. The Newcastle‒Ottawa Scale was used to evaluate the quality of the enrolled studies. Results: A total of 6488 individuals from 21 studies were included. All enrolled studies were high-quality. Overall, the PWV was elevated in pregnant women who suffered from preeclampsia (mean difference (MD) = 0.67, 95 % confidence interval (CI): 0.51,0.83, P < 0.00001), hypertension (MD = 1.04, 95 % CI: 1.00,1.08, P < 0.00001), gestational diabetes mellitus (MD = 0.34, 95%CI: 0.19,0.48, P < 0.00001), and diabetes (MD = 0.49, 95%CI: 0.27,0.70, P < 0.00001). Subgroup analysis based on specific types of PWV showed similar results. Conclusion: In our study, PWV is elevated in pregnancy-associated diseases, including preeclampsia, hypertension, and diabetes. The PWV assessment should be regarded as a clinical routine for pregnant women to prevent and manage cardiovascular diseases during pregnancy.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Xu et al. (2024) conducted a meta-analysis in Pregnancy-associated diseases (n=6,488). Pregnancy-associated diseases (e.g., preeclampsia) vs. Pregnant women without relevant diseases was evaluated on Pulse wave velocity (PWV) in preeclampsia (MD 0.67, 95% CI 0.51,0.83, p=< 0.00001). Pulse wave velocity was significantly elevated in pregnant women with preeclampsia (MD 0.67; 95% CI 0.51-0.83; P<0.00001), hypertension, and diabetes.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: