Obstetrical Care
Placental Syndromes & Heart Disease
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November 21st, 2005
"Abnormal placentas among pregnant women could indicate early heart disease"
Canadian researchers report that pregnant women with abnormal placentas appear to be at a twofold risk of developing early cardiovascular disease compared to women without these problems.
After looking at more than 1 million women who delivered, researchers examined whether there was a problem with their placenta. Maternal placental syndromes include preeclampsia and conditions where the placental blood vessels become blocked, and risk factors for placental syndromes include obesity, insulin resistance, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
The Cardiovascular Health After Maternal Placental Syndromes study was in the Nov. 19 issue of The Lancet, finding of the 1.03 million women in the study, 75,380 were diagnosed with maternal placental syndrome. Researchers compared the health outcomes of women who had placenta problems with women who did not for future risk of having heart disease or stroke or leg artery blockage.
Study author Dr. Joel G. Ray, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at St. Michael''s Hospital of the University of Toronto, believes obesity before pregnancy is a significant factor for developing placental syndromes. Women who had placental syndromes had double the risk of developing premature cardiovascular disease compared with women without any maternal placental syndromes.
Obesity related conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure, according to Ray, “create an environment that is unhealthy for the placenta and remains an unhealthy environment after the women delivers.” Ray believes the study shows the importance of modifying health when women are young, and the study could give important insight into heart disease risks faced by women.
Dr. Nieca Goldberg, chief of women''s cardiac care at Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City, believes a woman with maternal placental syndrome should be carefully watched for the onset of cardiovascular disease, saying “women who have had preeclampsia or other pregnancy problems shouldn’t get lost to the health-care system.”
