title: Severe myocardial impairment and chamber dysfunction in preterm preeclampsia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The long-term cardiovascular risk of preeclampsia is known to be significantly higher in women requiring preterm delivery before 37 weeks compared with those delivered at term. The aim of this study is to assess and compare maternal cardiac function and geometry in acute preterm and term preeclampsia.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a prospective case-control study of 27 preterm and 50 term preeclampsia and 104 matched controls assessed by conventional echocardiography and tissue Doppler imaging.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Preeclampsia is associated with biventricular diastolic dysfunction, altered geometry, and widespread myocardial impairment. However, only preterm but not term preeclampsia is characterized by biventricular systolic dysfunction (26% vs. 4%; p < 0.05) and severe left ventricular hypertrophy (19% vs. 2%; p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women with preterm preeclampsia have a more severe cardiac impairment than those with term preeclampsia. This finding may explain the increased long-term cardiovascular risk associated with preterm preeclampsia. The cardiac assessment of women with preterm preeclampsia may be of relevance in identifying women at higher risk of developing cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in later life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fetal Maternal Medicine Unit, St. George's Hospital, University of London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Melchiorre
authors.forename: George Ross
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Sutherland
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Watt-Coote
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liberati
authors.forename: Baskaran
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Thilaganathan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003971:Diastole; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000209:etiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013599:Systole; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000209:etiology; D018497:Ventricular Dysfunction, Right / Q000209:etiology