Key result
Higher non-HDL cholesterol is linked to increased PWV postpartum following hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
Why the study?
Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy increase postpartum cardiovascular disease risk, but screening methods to identify high-risk women are lacking, limiting personalized follow-up.
Are circulating biomarkers associated with measures of cardiovascular structure and function 1-3 years postpartum in women with prior hypertensive disorders of pregnancy compared to normotensive controls?
Cross-Sectional (n=275)
No
Are circulating biomarkers associated with measures of cardiovascular structure and function 1-3 years postpartum in women with prior hypertensive disorders of pregnancy compared to normotensive controls?
Effect estimate: b 0.34 (95% CI 0.15-0.54)
p-value: p=<0.01
In women 1-3 years postpartum, circulating biomarkers such as non-HDL cholesterol, glucose, and hs-CRP are associated with arterial stiffness in those with prior hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, suggesting their potential utility in refining personalized cardiovascular follow-up.
Biomarker associations with cardiac measures after HDP may aid risk stratification; leaves open whether they predict events or guide practice.
Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) confer increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk postpartum. Screening methods targeting women with increased risk are lacking, limiting personalized follow-up. Circulating biomarkers may assist CVD risk stratification. We aimed to assess whether circulating biomarkers were associated with measures of cardiovascular structure and function following HDP and normotensive pregnancies (controls). We examined 275 women 1–3 years postpartum (176 following HDP and 99 parous controls). Circulating biomarkers (hs-CRP, non-HDL cholesterol, glucose, eGFR, cTnT, NT-proBNP, GDF-15, sHLA-G, SAA1) and cardiovascular function and structure measures were examined [pulse wave velocity (PWV), carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and echocardiography]. Group differences were tested by Mann-Whitney U test and chi-square. Associations were assessed by univariate regression analyses. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Women following HDP displayed significantly higher rates of hypertension (5% vs. 0%) and metabolic syndrome (7% vs. 1%) than controls. Circulating biomarker levels were similar between study groups. In univariate regression analyses for the prior HDP group, non-HDL cholesterol was significantly associated with PWV and CIMT. Additionally, glucose and hs-CRP were significantly associated with PWV. These associations were not reproduced for controls, except for non-HDL cholesterol which was significantly associated with CIMT. In conclusion, women following HDP and normotensive pregnancies had similar postpartum levels of circulating biomarkers, but circulating biomarkers were significantly associated with measures of arterial stiffness (PWV and CIMT) in women with prior HDP. Our findings support current guidelines recommending CVD follow-up after HDP. Non-HDL cholesterol, glucose and hs-CRP may possibly help refining personalized cardiovascular follow-up postpartum.
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Klepp et al. (2026) conducted a cross-sectional in Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (n=275). Circulating cardiovascular biomarkers (non-HDL cholesterol) was evaluated on Association of non-HDL cholesterol with pulse wave velocity (PWV) in women with prior hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (b 0.34, 95% CI 0.15-0.54, p=<0.01). In women 1 to 3 years postpartum following hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, non-HDL cholesterol was significantly associated with increased pulse wave velocity (b 0.34).
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