Do pregnancy complications and CVD share common antecedents?

Considerable data link low birth weight, due to intrauterine growth restriction, to increased offspring risk of vascular disease in later adult life. This is considered to be the result, in part, of programming through fetal nutrition. These data support the hypothesis that pregnancy outcome in terms of birth weight is linked to the infant's subsequent health. In contrast, much less attention has been focused on the relationship between adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, pre-term delivery and intrauterine growth restriction, and the mother's subsequent health. Interesting data have accumulated linking the maternal vascular, metabolic and inflammatory complications of pregnancy to an increased risk of vascular disease in later life (Table 1). This paper reviews the emerging evidence to support this fascinating concept, addresses potential mechanisms and discusses potential clinical implications.