A recent study presented at The Pregnancy Meeting, the annual conference of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, has revealed a concerning link between hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) and/or gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in pregnant individuals and the cardiovascular health of their offspring later in life.
Led by Kartik Kailas Venkatesh, M.D., Ph.D., from The Ohio State University in Columbus, the study investigated the association between HDP and GDM during pregnancy and cardiovascular health (CVH) outcomes in early adolescence (ages 10 to 14 years). The analysis encompassed 3,317 maternal-child pairs participating in the Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome Follow-up Study.
The findings unveiled a notable correlation between HDP and/or GDM during pregnancy and suboptimal CVH outcomes in offspring a decade or more after delivery. Specifically, individuals exposed to HDP alone, GDM alone, or both HDP and GDM demonstrated a heightened likelihood of having children with less-than-ideal CVH. This risk intensified with an increasing number and severity of adverse CVH metrics, including body mass index, blood pressure, total cholesterol level, and glucose level.
Dr. Venkatesh emphasized the significance of these findings, challenging the conventional belief that cardiovascular disease risk begins postnatally. Instead, the study suggests that prenatal factors, such as HDP and GDM, can exert a lasting impact on a child’s cardiovascular health throughout their lifespan.
“These findings are important because traditionally, the thinking has been that a person’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease starts after birth — that everyone starts at the same point,” noted Dr. Venkatesh. “These data suggest that’s not the case and that what happens in the womb can affect the child across their lifespan.”
The study underscores the critical importance of prenatal care and interventions to mitigate the adverse effects of hypertensive disorders and gestational diabetes on maternal and child health. By addressing these risk factors during pregnancy, healthcare providers can potentially mitigate the long-term cardiovascular health implications for offspring, emphasizing the need for comprehensive prenatal care and support.
