title: Left ventricular function many years after recovery from pre-eclampsia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Epidemiological observations have shown that women with pre-eclampsia are at increased risk for subsequent development of cardiovascular disease. We evaluated maternal haemodynamics in asymptomatic women many years after pre-eclampsia and HELLP (haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelets) syndrome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case-control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University-based department of obstetrics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-eight women, 13-18 years after the affected pregnancy: 17 women with a history of HELLP syndrome, 14 women with a history of pre-eclampsia and 17 women following normal pregnancy (control group).
  
  
  METHODS
  Echocardiographic examination was performed in all groups, recording the isovolumetric contraction time and isovolumetric relaxation time (ICT + IVRT), ejection time (ET), myocardial performance index (MPI), transmitral early to atrial filling velocity ratio (MV-E/MV-A), stroke volume (SV) and cardiac output (CO).
  
  
  METHODS
  Cardiac function.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women with previous HELLP syndrome showed a significantly increased MPI (0.34 versus 0.26; P = 0.008) and ICT + IVRT (442.16 versus 415.03; P = 0.01); MV-E/A, SV, ET and CO were not significantly different. Women with a history of pre-eclampsia showed a significantly increased MPI (0.36 versus 0.26; P = 0.006) and decreased ET (317.3 versus 328.93; P = 0.04); ICT + IVRT, MV-E/A, SV and CO were not significantly different.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study confirms epidemiological observations that women with pre-eclampsia are at increased risk for subsequent development of cardiovascular disease. Many years after HELLP syndrome or pre-eclampsia, asymptomatic women have an increased risk for impaired cardiac function as shown by an increased MPI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria. isolde.strobl@i-med.ac.at
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Strobl
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Windbichler
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Strasak
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Weiskopf-Schwendinger
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schweigmann
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ramoni
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scheier
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D017359:HELLP Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D015588:Observer Variation; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000503:physiopathology*