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Pregnancy and Heart Disease Updates: Current Knowledge and Future Directions

  • Women and Heart Disease (E Jackson, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among pregnant women and causes significant maternal and fetal morbidity. Pregnant women may have known cardiac disease, such as prosthetic heart valves, while others develop new complications, such as myocardial ischemia or cardiomyopathy. Tools for predicting the risk of adverse cardiac events during pregnancy exist. Data from international registries will improve our ability to accurately assess risks and manage and counsel patients. This review will also address the following: (1) Myocardial infarctions that occur during or after pregnancy are often related to coronary dissection and require special attention. (2) Peripartum cardiomyopathy causes heart failure, which can be severe and fatal. Women who recover need careful counseling about the risks of a subsequent pregnancy. (3) Anti-coagulation of mechanical heart valves during pregnancy involves challenging decisions about the safety of warfarin for the fetus, but low-molecular-weight heparin requires meticulous attention to anti-Xa levels.

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  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Michigan, 1500 E. Medical Center Drive, SPC 5853, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-5853, USA

    Melinda B. Davis

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Davis, M.B. Pregnancy and Heart Disease Updates: Current Knowledge and Future Directions. Curr Cardiovasc Risk Rep 9, 50 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12170-015-0478-x

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