Key result
Pregnancy was associated with significantly higher cardiac chamber dimensions, LV wall thickness, and LA size compared to age-matched controls, reflecting an adaptive response.
Why the study?
Do structural and functional echocardiographic parameters change during normal pregnancy in Asian Indian women compared to age-matched controls?
Cross-Sectional (n=100)
Do structural and functional echocardiographic parameters change during normal pregnancy in Asian Indian women compared to age-matched controls?
Normal pregnancy in Asian Indian women is associated with significant adaptive structural and functional echocardiographic changes, including increased chamber dimensions and subtle reductions in myocardial compliance.
Supports awareness of adaptive echo changes in pregnant Asian Indian women; leaves open need for prospective validation and outcome studies.
Background Pregnancy is associated with profound physiologic alterations in the maternal cardiovascular system. This study aimed to investigate maternal cardiac performance during normal pregnancy by two-dimensional echocardiography parameters and various functional and structural alterations. Methods This was a cross-sectional study of 100 normal pregnant women who attended the antenatal clinic, and all participants had clinical history, physical examination, and 12-lead electrocardiogram. Two-dimensional, M-mode, and Doppler echocardiography was done. Echocardiographic parameters were compared with normal age-matched controls from previously published studies. Results The mean age of the study group was 23.35 ± 3.05 years, mean systolic blood pressure was 110.5 ± 8.69 mm Hg, and mean diastolic blood pressure was 71.6 ± 6.77 mm Hg. There was an increase in left atrial (LA) diameter, left ventricular end diastolic diameter, and interventricular septum (IVS) thickness as gestational age advanced. There was a gradual decrease in E-wave velocity, and E/A ratio increased during the second trimester and decreased during the third trimester. The E-wave deceleration time increased with gestational age There was no statistically significant difference between IVS thickness and E/A ratio (p = 1.000). Conclusion Cardiac chamber dimensions, LV wall thickness, and LA size, most indices of systolic function although within normal range, were significantly higher in pregnant Asian Indian women than in the controls. This study shows that the subtle reduction in myocardial compliance appears as an adaptive response to changes of preload, afterload, and LV geometry.
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Kasula et al. (2017) conducted a cross-sectional in Normal pregnancy (n=100). Pregnancy vs. Normal age-matched controls from previously published studies was evaluated on Maternal cardiac performance and structural alterations by echocardiography. Pregnancy was associated with significantly higher cardiac chamber dimensions, LV wall thickness, and LA size compared to age-matched controls, reflecting an adaptive response.
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