February 12, 2024
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Pregnant people who develop conditions like preeclampsia and gestational diabetes also have a higher risk of developing heart disease later in life. Now, a new study finds these complications also are associated with worse heart health for their child beginning as early as adolescence.
Researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine led the study and presented findings during today’s Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Annual Pregnancy Meeting.
“In our study, we found that preeclampsia and gestational diabetes were each significantly associated with worse cardiovascular health for the child in early adolescence,” said lead investigator Kartik Venkatesh, MD, PhD, maternal fetal medicine physician, epidemiologist, assistant professor and director of the Diabetes in Pregnancy Program at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. “This presents an opportunity for us to intervene early in childhood and recommend healthy changes for the family to help improve their child’s health later in life.”
Pregnant individuals were originally enrolled in a study examining the relation between blood sugar and pregnancy outcomes. Their children were examined 10 to 14 years after birth, and four cardiovascular-health metrics were evaluated – body mass index, blood pressure, total cholesterol and glucose. Researchers found that more than half (55.5%) of the children had at least one cardiovascular-health metric that was non-ideal, which puts them at greater risk of heart disease later in life.
The study included 3,317 mother-child pairs from 10 health centers. Those with diabetes and high blood pressure prior to pregnancy were excluded. Of the pregnant participants, 14% developed gestational diabetes and 10% developed high blood pressure during pregnancy.
“There are evidence-based steps that people can take before and during pregnancy to decrease their risk of developing complications,” said the study’s senior author William Grobman, MD, maternal fetal medicine physician and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Ohio State. “These include optimizing weight and, among those deemed to be at high risk for hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, taking low-dose aspirin to help reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure.”
Data for the study were collected from the Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome (HAPO) study from 2000 to 2006 and the HAPO follow-up study from 2013 to 2016.
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Media Contact: Mary Ellen Fiorino, Mary.Fiorino@osumc.edu
Researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine led the study and presented findings during today’s Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Annual Pregnancy Meeting.
“In our study, we found that preeclampsia and gestational diabetes were each significantly associated with worse cardiovascular health for the child in early adolescence,” said lead investigator Kartik Venkatesh, MD, PhD, maternal fetal medicine physician, epidemiologist, assistant professor and director of the Diabetes in Pregnancy Program at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. “This presents an opportunity for us to intervene early in childhood and recommend healthy changes for the family to help improve their child’s health later in life.”
Pregnant individuals were originally enrolled in a study examining the relation between blood sugar and pregnancy outcomes. Their children were examined 10 to 14 years after birth, and four cardiovascular-health metrics were evaluated – body mass index, blood pressure, total cholesterol and glucose. Researchers found that more than half (55.5%) of the children had at least one cardiovascular-health metric that was non-ideal, which puts them at greater risk of heart disease later in life.
The study included 3,317 mother-child pairs from 10 health centers. Those with diabetes and high blood pressure prior to pregnancy were excluded. Of the pregnant participants, 14% developed gestational diabetes and 10% developed high blood pressure during pregnancy.
“There are evidence-based steps that people can take before and during pregnancy to decrease their risk of developing complications,” said the study’s senior author William Grobman, MD, maternal fetal medicine physician and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Ohio State. “These include optimizing weight and, among those deemed to be at high risk for hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, taking low-dose aspirin to help reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure.”
Data for the study were collected from the Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome (HAPO) study from 2000 to 2006 and the HAPO follow-up study from 2013 to 2016.
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Media Contact: Mary Ellen Fiorino, Mary.Fiorino@osumc.edu