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Cardiovascular Disease in Pregnancy

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Cardiovascular Manual for the Advanced Practice Provider

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Abstract

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in pregnancy despite improvements in the United States healthcare system. This is due to a myriad of factors including advanced maternal age, chronic medical conditions, and racial disparities. Expected physiological changes during pregnancy include hormonal changes, vascular adaptations such as a decrease in systemic vascular resistance early in pregnancy, as well as a rise in blood pressure toward the end of pregnancy. It is imperative to differentiate between expected physiological changes and pathological conditions as they can have a similar presentation and could be missed. Common cardiovascular disorders during pregnancy described here include chest pain, spontaneous coronary artery dissection, pulmonary embolism, gastroesophageal reflux disease, musculoskeletal pain, aortopathy, hypertension, cardiomyopathy, edema, and amniotic fluid embolism. A specialized multidisciplinary cardio-obstetrics team is vital to monitor the progress of the pregnancy, have a safe delivery plan, and improve overall outcomes.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Atrium Health Pulmonary and Critical Care Consultants, Charlotte, NC, USA

    Cindy Sing

  2. Corrigan Minehan Heart Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Malissa J. Wood

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  1. Cindy Sing
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  2. Malissa J. Wood
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Correspondence to Malissa J. Wood .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute, Atrium Health, Charlotte, NC, USA

    Richard Musialowski

  2. Atrium Health, Levine Childrens’ Congenital Heart Center, Charlotte, NC, USA

    Krista Allshouse

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Sing, C., Wood, M.J. (2023). Cardiovascular Disease in Pregnancy. In: Musialowski, R., Allshouse, K. (eds) Cardiovascular Manual for the Advanced Practice Provider. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35819-7_32

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35819-7_32

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-35819-7

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