Obesity Before/During Pregnancy Linked to Cardiovascular Risk

A press release from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) highlights the results of a recent study published in Circulation Research, which notes that being overweight or obese before pregnancy or during early pregnancy can increase long- and short-term cardiovascular risks.

The study was led by a researcher in the Division of Cardiovascular Sciences at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) with additional funding from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, Office of Research on Women’s Health, and the Office of Disease Prevention.

“We’re finding that certain pregnancy complications are unmasking and then increasing cardiovascular disease risks, such as obesity, that were already present. This study provides insight into potential timing for interventions for people with overweight or obesity who are thinking about pregnancy,” said Victoria L. Pemberton, RNC, a study author, in the press release.

The publication used data from the Nulliparous Pregnancy Outcomes Study: Monitoring Mothers-To-Be (nuMoM2b) Heart Health Study, including patients enrolled during the first trimester.

Over 4,200 participants were recruited from 8 sites across the United States and had a follow-up within 3.7 years postpartum. Approximately 25% of participants were overweight, while 22% were obese.

The investigators found that patients with obesity were 14% more likely to have postpartum hypertension when compared to patients with an average body mass index (BMI). Additionally, researchers identified an 11% elevated risk of hyperlipidemia and a 3% elevated risk, even after adjusting for baseline risk factors.

Furthermore, the researchers noted that birthing individuals who were overweight or obese before or during early pregnancy had double the risk of developing gestational diabetes or hypertensive disorders during pregnancy.

Conversely, researchers noted that maternal weight did not impact the risk of preterm birth or low infant birth weight.

“We want to do everything we can to support a person’s heart health, but especially around the time of pregnancy — before, during, and in early pregnancy,” said Sadiya S. Khan, MD, the study’s lead investigator, a preventive cardiologist, and an associate professor of medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, in the NIH release. “That includes achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight, knowing your heart health numbers, and finding ways to stay physically active.”