Key result
Healthy pregnancy is associated with reduced aortic stiffness, central blood pressure, and wave reflections, and enhanced recruitable, but not resting, endothelial function.
Why the study?
Does normal pregnancy alter central hemodynamics and endothelial function compared to nonpregnant women?
Observational (n=33)
Does normal pregnancy alter central hemodynamics and endothelial function compared to nonpregnant women?
Normal pregnancy induces favorable adaptations in central hemodynamics and recruitable endothelial function, reducing aortic stiffness and central blood pressure.
Hypothesis-generating for pregnancy-related vascular adaptations; prospective studies needed before clinical consideration.
Introduction. Flow-mediated dilation (FMD), low flow-mediated constriction (L-FMC), and reactive hyperemia-related changes in carotid-to-radial pulse wave velocity (ΔPWVcr%) could offer complementary information about both "recruitability" and "resting" endothelial function (EF). Carotid-to-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWVcf) and pulse wave analysis-derived parameters (i.e., AIx@75) are the gold standard methods for noninvasive evaluation of aortic stiffness and central hemodynamics. If healthy pregnancy is associated with both changes in resting and recruitable EF, as well as in several arterial parameters, it remains unknown and/or controversial. Objectives. To simultaneously and noninvasively assess in healthy pregnant (HP) and nonpregnant (NP) women central parameters in conjunction with "basal and recruitable" EF, employing new complementary approaches. Methods. HP (n = 11, 34.2 ± 3.3 weeks of gestation) and age- and cardiovascular risk factors-matched NP (n = 22) were included. Aortic blood pressure (BP), AIx@75, PWVcf, common carotid stiffness, and intima-media thickness, as well as FMD, L-FMC, and ΔPWVcr %, were measured. Results. Aortic BP, stiffness, and AIx@75 were reduced in HP. ΔPWVcr% and FMD were enhanced in HP in comparison to NP. No differences were found in L-FMC between groups. Conclusion. HP is associated with reduced aortic stiffness, central BP, wave reflections, and enhanced recruitable, but not resting, EF.
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Torrado et al. (2015) conducted an observational in Healthy pregnancy (n=33). Healthy pregnancy vs. Nonpregnant women was evaluated on Central hemodynamics and endothelial function (aortic BP, AIx@75, PWVcf, carotid stiffness, FMD, L-FMC, and ΔPWVcr%). Healthy pregnancy is associated with reduced aortic stiffness, central blood pressure, and wave reflections, and enhanced recruitable, but not resting, endothelial function.
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