Longitudinal analysis of cardiovascular risk parameters in women with a history of hypertensive pregnancy disorders: the Doetinchem Cohort Study

Incidence of Heart Failure Related to Co-Occurrence of Gestational Hypertensive Disorders and Gestational Diabetes

BACKGROUND

The extent to which their co-occurrence of gestational hypertensive disorders (GHTD) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) influences heart failure (HF) risk is unclear.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to characterize the risk of HF related to concomitant GHTD and GDM.

METHODS

We conducted a population-based cohort study using the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care of Ontario (Canada) health care administrative databases. We included women with a livebirth singleton delivery between July 1, 2007, and March 31, 2018, and excluded those with prepregnancy diabetes, hypertension, HF, or coronary artery disease. GDM, GHTD, peripartum cardiomyopathy (at index pregnancy) were identified using diagnosis coding. Incident HF was assessed from index pregnancy until March 31, 2020. We estimated associations of GDM and/or GHTD with peripartum cardiomyopathy and incident HF.

RESULTS

Among 885,873 women (mean age: 30 years, 54,015 with isolated GDM, 43,750 with isolated GHTD, 4,960 with GDM and GHTD), there were 489 HF events over 8 years. Compared to no-GDM and no-GHTD, isolated GDM (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 1.44; 95% CI: 1.02-2.04) and isolated GHTD (aHR: 1.65; 95% CI: 1.17-2.31) were associated with a higher risk of incident HF. The co-occurrence of GDM and GHTD was associated with a higher HF risk (aHR: 2.64; 95% CI: 1.24-5.61). GDM and GHTD increased the risk of peripartum cardiomyopathy (adjusted risk ratio [aRR]: 7.30; 95% CI: 6.92-7.58), similarly to isolated GHTD (aRR: 7.40; 95% CI: 7.23-7.58).

CONCLUSIONS

The co-occurrence of GDM and GHTD was associated with a significantly high risk of incident HF.

Association of Concomitant Gestational Hypertensive Disorders and Gestational Diabetes With Cardiovascular Disease

IMPORTANCE

Accruing evidence suggests that gestational hypertensive disorders (GHTD) and gestational diabetes (GD) are each associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the extent to which the co-occurrence of GHTD and GD is associated with the risk of CVD remains largely unknown.

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the individual and joint associations of GHTD and GD with incident CVD.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This population-based cohort study used the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care of Ontario (Canada) health care administrative databases. All women in Ontario with a GHTD and/or GD diagnosis, and a live-birth singleton delivery between July 1, 2007, and March 31, 2018, were considered for inclusion. Women with pregravid diabetes, hypertension, or cardiovascular disease were excluded. Statistical analysis was performed from November 2021 to September 2022.

EXPOSURES

GD and/or GHTD, defined using diagnosis coding.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Individual and joint associations of GHTD and GD with incident CVD (including a composite of myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome, stroke, coronary artery bypass grafting, percutaneous coronary intervention, or carotid endarterectomy), estimated using Cox regression models, adjusting for relevant cardiometabolic risk factors. The follow-up extended from the index pregnancy until March 31, 2020.

RESULTS

Among 886 295 eligible women (mean [SD] age, 30 [5.6] years; 43 861 [4.9%] with isolated GHTD, 54 061 [6.1%] with isolated GD, and 4975 [0.6%] with GHTD and GD), there were 1999 CVD events over 12 years of follow-up. In the early postpartum phase (first 5 years post partum), there was no association of co-occurrence of GTHD and GD (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.42, 95% CI, 0.78-2.58) or GD alone (aHR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.60-1.06) with CVD; there was an association between isolated GTHD and incident CVD compared with no GTHD and no GD (aHR, 1.90; 95% CI, 1.51-2.35). In the late postpartum period (after the initial 5 years post partum), compared with no GD and no GHTD, isolated GHTD (aHR, 1.41, 95% CI, 1.12-1.76) and co-occurrence of GHTD and GD (aHR, 2.43, 95% CI, 1.60-3.67) were each associated with a higher risk of incident CVD. There was no association between isolated GD and incident CVD.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this cohort study, GHTD was associated with a high risk of CVD post partum, and the co-occurrence of GD and GHTD was associated with a much greater postpartum CVD risk. These findings suggest that CVD preventive care is particularly needed in the aftermath of combined GD and GHTD.

Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy and Future Cardiovascular Health

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) occur in almost 10% of gestations. These women are known to have higher cardiovascular morbidity and mortality later in life in comparison with parous controls who had normotensive pregnancies. Several studies have demonstrated that women with preeclampsia present in a state of segmental impaired myocardial function, biventricular chamber dysfunction, adverse biventricular remodeling, and hypertrophy, a compromised hemodynamic state and indirect echocardiographic signs of localized myocardial ischemia and fibrosis. These cardiac functional and geometric changes are known to have strong predictive value for cardiovascular disease in non-pregnant subjects. A "dose effect" response seems to regulate this relationship with severe HDP, early-onset HDP, coexistence of fetal growth disorders, and recurrence of HDP resulting in poorer cardiovascular measures. The mechanism underlying the relationship between HDP in younger women and cardiovascular disease later in life is unclear but could be explained by sharing of pre-pregnancy cardiovascular risk factors or due to a direct impact of HDP on the maternal cardiovascular system conferring a state of increased susceptibility to future metabolic or hemodynamic insults. If so, the prevention of HDP itself would become all the more urgent. Shortly after delivery, women who experienced HDP express an increased risk of classic cardiovascular risk factors such as essential hypertension, renal disease, abnormal lipid profile, and diabetes with higher frequency than controls. Within one or two decades after delivery, this group of women are more likely to experience premature cardiovascular events, such as symptomatic heart failure, myocardial ischemia, and cerebral vascular disease. Although there is general agreement that women who suffered from HDP should undertake early screening for cardiovascular risk factors in order to allow for appropriate prevention, the exact timing and modality of screening has not been standardized yet. Our findings suggest that prevention should start as early as possible after delivery by making the women aware of their increased cardiovascular risk and encouraging weight control, stop smoking, healthy diet, and daily exercise which are well-established and cost-effective prevention strategies.

Early life environment influences the trajectory of post-partum weight loss in adult female rats

RESEARCH QUESTION

The physiological processes of pregnancy and lactation require profound changes in maternal metabolism and energy balance. The timescale of metabolic reversion after pregnancy, in particular post-partum weight loss, is highly variable between individuals. Currently, mechanisms influencing post-partum metabolic recovery are not well understood. The hypothesis tested here is that, in common with other metabolic and obesity-related outcomes, capacity for post-partum weight loss is influenced by developmental programming.

DESIGN

Adult female Wistar rats exposed to a maternal low-protein diet in utero then weaned onto a control diet post-natally (recuperated group) were compared with controls. Adult females from both groups underwent pregnancy at 3 months of age. Weight changes and metabolic parameters during pregnancy and lactation were compared between control and recuperated groups, and also with non-pregnant littermates.

RESULTS

Pregnancy weight gain was not different between the control and recuperated groups, but post-partum recuperated animals remained significantly heavier than both post-partum control animals (P<0.05) and their non-pregnant recuperated littermates (P<0.05) at the end of lactation. Post-partum recuperated animals had more intra-abdominal fat mass (P<0.05) and higher serum triglyceride concentrations (P<0.01) than controls. Post-partum recuperated animals also had increased expression of IL6, NRF2 and ALOX12 (key regulators of inflammation and lipoxygenase activity) in the intra-abdominal adipose tissue compared with control groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Mothers who themselves have been exposed to adverse early life environments are likely to have slower metabolic recovery from pregnancy than controls. Failure to return to pre-pregnancy weight after delivery predisposes to persisting sequential inter-pregnancy weight gain, which can represent a significant metabolic burden across a life course involving several pregnancies.

Midlife development of type 2 diabetes and hypertension in women by history of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy

BACKGROUND

Women with history of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are at increased risk of early onset cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes (T2D). We aimed to investigate the extent to which HDP is also associated with midlife development of T2D and hypertension above and beyond established risk factors.

METHODS

We included parous women who attended population-based structured clinical visits at age 50 and 60 years in Sweden 1991-2013 (N = 6587). Women with prior diabetes mellitus, stroke, or ischemic heart disease at age 50 years were excluded. Data on reproductive history were collected from registries. To study the association between history of HDP and the between-visits development of T2D, hypertension, and clinical risk factors of cardiometabolic disease (body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, and total cholesterol), we utilized multivariable adjusted regression models (logistic, log binomial, and linear regression, respectively). Models included data on outcome risk factors at age 50 years, e.g. BMI, 75 g 2 h oral glucose tolerance test result, and mean arterial pressure, respectively.

RESULTS

Between ages 50 and 60 years, 5.8% of initially disease-free women developed T2D and 31.6% developed hypertension. History of HDP was associated with increased risk of developing T2D between age 50 and 60 years even when adjusting for risk factors, including BMI, at age 50 years (odds ratio (OR) 1.96, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.29-2.98). By contrast, the higher risk of developing hypertension observed in women with history of HDP (relative risk (RR) 1.47, 95% CI 1.22-1.78) was attenuated when adjusted for risk factors (RR 1.09, 95% CI 0.94-1.25). Participants with a history of HDP had higher mean BMI and blood pressure at age 50 years, with levels roughly corresponding to those observed at age 60 years in unaffected women.

CONCLUSIONS

Women with history of HDP are not only at higher risk of cardiometabolic disease during their reproductive years, but HDP is also associated with midlife T2D development above and beyond established risk factors.

Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy and Maternal Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factor Development: An Observational Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Women with a history of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are nearly twice as likely to develop cardiovascular disease (CVD) as those who are normotensive during pregnancy. However, the emergence of CVD risk factors after HDP is less well-understood.

OBJECTIVE

To identify associations between HDP and maternal CVD risk factors and chart the trajectory of risk factor development after pregnancy.

DESIGN

Observational cohort study.

SETTING

United States.

PARTICIPANTS

58 671 parous NHS II (Nurses' Health Study II) participants who did not have CVD or risk factors of interest at baseline.

MEASUREMENTS

Women were followed for self-reported physician diagnosis of chronic hypertension and hypercholesterolemia and confirmed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) from their first birth through 2013; mean follow-up ranged from 25 to 32 years across these end points. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs, with adjustment for prepregnancy confounders.

RESULTS

Compared with women who were normotensive during pregnancy, those with gestational hypertension (2.9%) or preeclampsia (6.3%) in their first pregnancy had increased rates of chronic hypertension (HRs, 2.8 [95% CI, 2.6 to 3.0] and 2.2 [CI, 2.1 to 2.3], respectively), T2DM (HRs, 1.7 [CI, 1.4 to 1.9] and 1.8 [CI, 1.6 to 1.9], respectively), and hypercholesterolemia (HRs, 1.4 [CI, 1.3 to 1.5] and 1.3 [CI, 1.3 to 1.4], respectively). Although these women were more likely to develop CVD risk factors throughout follow-up, the relative risk for chronic hypertension was strongest within 5 years after their first birth. Recurrence of HDP further elevated risks for all end points.

LIMITATION

Participants self-reported HDP.

CONCLUSION

Women with HDP in their first pregnancy had increased rates of chronic hypertension, T2DM, and hypercholesterolemia that persisted for several decades. These women may benefit from lifestyle intervention and early screening to reduce lifetime risk for CVD.

PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE

National Institutes of Health.

Preventing cardiovascular disease after hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: Searching for the how and when

Background

Women with a history of a hypertensive disorder during pregnancy (HDP) have an increased risk of cardiovascular events. Guidelines recommend assessment of cardiovascular risk factors in these women later in life, but provide limited advice on how this follow-up should be organized.

Design

Systematic review and meta-regression analysis.

Methods

The aim of our study was to provide an overview of existing knowledge on the changes over time in three major modifiable components of cardiovascular risk assessment after HDP: blood pressure, glucose homeostasis and lipid levels. Data from 44 studies and up to 6904 women with a history of a HDP were compared with risk factor levels reported for women of corresponding age in the National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey, Estudio Epidemiólogico de la Insuficiencia Renal en España and Hong Kong cohorts (N = 27,803).

Results

Compared with the reference cohort, women with a HDP presented with higher mean blood pressure. Hypertension was present in a higher rate among women with a previous HDP from 15 years postpartum onwards. At 15 years postpartum (±age 45), one in five women with a history of a HDP suffer from hypertension. No differences in glucose homeostasis parameters or lipid levels were observed.

Conclusions

Based on our analysis, it is not possible to point out a time point to commence screening for cardiovascular risk factors in women after a HDP. We recommend redirection of future research towards the development of a stepwise approach identifying the women with the highest cardiovascular risk.

Hypertensive disorders during pregnancy and risk of type 2 diabetes in later life: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Many studies assessed the association between hypertensive disorders during pregnancy and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in later life, but contradictory findings were reported. A systemic review and meta-analysis was carried out to elucidate type 2 diabetes mellitus risk in women with hypertensive disorders during pregnancy. Pubmed, Embase, and Web of Science were searched for cohort or case-control studies on the association between hypertensive disorders during pregnancy and subsequent type 2 diabetes mellitus. Random-effect model was used to pool risk estimates. Bayesian meta-analysis was carried out to further estimate the type 2 diabetes mellitus risk associated with hypertensive disorders during pregnancy. Seventeen cohort or prospective matched case-control studies were finally included. Those 17 studies involved 2,984,634 women and 46,732 type 2 diabetes mellitus cases. Overall, hypertensive disorders during pregnancy were significantly correlated with type 2 diabetes mellitus risk (relative risk = 1.56, 95 % confidence interval 1.21-2.01, P = 0.001). Preeclampsia was significantly and independently correlated with type 2 diabetes mellitus risk (relative risk = 2.25, 95 % confidence interval 1.73-2.90, P < 0.001). In addition, gestational hypertension was also significantly and independently correlated with subsequent type 2 diabetes mellitus risk (relative risk = 2.06, 95 % confidence interval 1.57-2.69, P < 0.001). The pooled estimates were not significantly altered in the subgroup analyses of studies on preeclampsia or gestational hypertension. Bayesian meta-analysis showed the relative risks of type 2 diabetes mellitus risk for individuals with hypertensive disorders during pregnancy, preeclampsia, and gestational hypertension were 1.59 (95 % credibility interval: 1.11-2.32), 2.27 (95 % credibility interval: 1.67-2.97), and 2.06 (95 % credibility interval: 1.41-2.84), respectively. Publication bias was not evident in the meta-analysis. Preeclampsia and gestational hypertension are independently associated with substantially elevated risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in later life.

Hypertension and early menopause after the use of assisted reproductive technologies in women aged 43 years or older: Long-term follow-up study

AIM

The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term consequences to women's health and the onset of menopause in healthy women of advanced reproductive age who conceived by assisted reproductive technologies (ART).

METHODS

Healthy women who conceived by ART (72) and controls (80) were selected among 320 women ≥ 43 years, who delivered between January 2010 and December 2011 in the Department of Gynecological and Obstetrical Sciences and Urological Sciences of "Sapienza" University of Rome. Body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and presence of hypertension and diabetes were analyzed at three days, six months, and three years after delivery. The onset of menopause was analyzed after three years.

RESULTS

In the ART group, SBP, DBP and hypertension were higher at three days, six months, and three years after delivery. Menopausal age was significantly lower.

CONCLUSION

The impact of ART in healthy women of advanced reproductive age in the years after delivery is not limited to the possible development of cardiovascular risk factors, such as hypertension, but can also influence the age of onset of menopause.

Epidemiology of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy: prevalence, risk factors, predictors and prognosis

Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP) represent some of the most important problems faced by public health because HDP is a major cause of maternal and prenatal morbidity and mortality. Several epidemiological studies have been performed to determine the prevalence and risk factors of HDP as well as its subtypes. The prevalences of HDP, gestational hypertension and preeclampsia are 5.2-8.2%, 1.8-4.4% and 0.2-9.2%, respectively. Body mass index, anemia and lower education appear to be modifiable risk factors for HDP. Maternal age, primiparous, multiple pregnancy, HDP in previous pregnancy, gestational diabetes mellitus, preexisting hypertension, preexisting type 2 diabetes mellitus, preexisting urinary tract infection and a family history of hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus and preeclampsia appear to be nonmodifiable risk factors. Genetic variants including a single-nucleotide polymorphism in the angiotensinogen gene have also been reported to be nonmodifiable risk factors. Epidemiological studies have recently examined the associations between a history of HDP and its subtypes and future risks of other diseases. These studies have reported associations between a history of HDP and a risk of coronary heart disease, heart failure, dysrhythmia, stroke, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, end-stage renal dysfunction and cardiomyopathy. HDP is not associated with the future incidence of total cancer. In conclusion, HDP is not a rare complication of pregnancy and the influence of HDP remains for an extended duration. Physicians should consider the effects of HDP when treating chronic diseases in women.

Preeclampsia in pregnancy and later use of antihypertensive drugs

We explored the association between preeclampsia and later use of antihypertensive drugs in a population-based study with data from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway and the Norwegian Prescription Database. The study cohort consisted of 980,000 women having 2.1 million pregnancies during 1967–2012. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CI) were estimated in multivariate time-dependent Cox proportional hazards regression models. Overall, the HR of later use of antihypertensive drugs was 2.0 (95 % CI 2.0–2.0) in women with one preeclamptic pregnancy compared to women without preeclamptic pregnancies. The HR increased by increasing number of preeclamptic pregnancies, both term and preterm pregnancies. In women with two or more preeclamptic pregnancies, the HR was 2.8 (2.7–3.0). The overall HR after 40 years of follow-up for women with one preeclamptic pregnancy was 1.3 (1.2–1.4) and for two or more preeclamptic pregnancies the HR was 1.6 (1.1–2.1). The first 5 years after the first birth, the HR of being dispensed antihypertensive drugs was higher in preterm [8.4 (7.7–9.1)] than term preeclamptic pregnancies [4.3(4.0–4.6)]. However, after 10 years, this difference was no longer present. The HR of later use of antihypertensive drugs increased with the number of preeclamptic pregnancies, and in the first 10 years the HR was higher after a preterm than a term preeclamptic pregnancy. Although the HR decreased with time since first birth, the risk was still elevated after 40 years.

Management of cardiovascular diseases during pregnancy

The prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in women of childbearing age is rising. The successes in medical and surgical treatment of congenital heart disease have led to an increasing number of women at childbearing age presenting with problems of treated congenital heart disease. Furthermore, in developing countries and in immigrants from these countries, rheumatic valvular heart disease still plays a significant role in young women. Increasing age of pregnant women and increasing prevalence of atherosclerotic risk factors have led to an increase in women with coronary artery disease at pregnancy. Successful management of pregnancy in women with CVDs requires early diagnosis, a thorough risk stratification, and appropriate management by a multidisciplinary team of obstetricians, cardiologists, anesthesiologists, and primary care physicians. The following review is based on the recent European guidelines on the management of CVDs during pregnancy, which aim at providing concise and simple recommendations for these challenging problems.

BRCA1/2 mutation carriers are potentially at higher cardiovascular risk

BRCA1/2 mutation carriers have an elevated risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer at a relatively young age. Risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy is an established strategy to tremendously reduce the risk of ovarian cancer. It is recommended to perform this surgery at age 35-40 years (BRCA1) and at age 40-45 years (BRCA2) resulting in an early and abrupt menopause. BRCA1/2 mutation carriers are potentially at higher risk of cardiovascular diseases due to early surgical menopause, and cardiotoxic effects of adjuvant treatment for breast cancer. Furthermore, preliminary results of experimental studies suggest a possible causative function of the BRCA genes in cardiovascular risk. More research on cardiovascular health risks in BRCA1/2 mutation carriers is needed, especially in the field of cardio-oncology, requiring additional attention to potentially cumulative effects on cardiovascular risks in this specific group of women.