title: Age-related alterations in cardiac geometry in formerly preeclamptic women and healthy parous controls: an explorative study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Preeclamptic pregnancies induce concentric left ventricular hypertrophy instead of eccentric left ventricular hypertrophy as seen in healthy pregnancies. Although these differences persist for at least several months postpartum, the long-term fate of these changes is unknown.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore the age-related changes in cardiovascular structure and function in formerly preeclamptic women relative to parous controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 20 formerly preeclamptic women and 8 parous controls underwent 2 echocardiograms at 1 and 14 years of postpartum. With the nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test and the Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test, we analyzed the between-group differences in cardiac structure and function at both time points and the time-related changes in these indices.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Left ventricular geometry and dimensions and systolic function were comparable in the 2 study groups at both time points. The age-related decline in E/A ratio and increase in intraventricular septum thickness were noted in both groups over time, without appreciable differences between groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A history of preeclampsia does not affect the age-related cardiac remodeling over a period of 14 years.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands. c.ghossein@maastrichtuniversity.nl
authors.forename: Chahinda
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ghossein-Doha
authors.forename: Sander M J
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: van Kuijk
authors.forename: Marc E A
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Spaanderman
authors.forename: Tammo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Delhaas
authors.forename: Louis L H
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Peeters
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D010298:Parity / Q000502:physiology*; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000502:physiology; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D014463:Ultrasonography; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling / Q000502:physiology*