title: The mother--the long-term implications on metabolic and cardiovascular complications.
abstract: There is cumulating evidence linking the occurrence of pregnancy complications, including miscarriage, stillbirth, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, gestational diabetes mellitus, preterm birth, and fetal growth restriction, with increased future risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus, and hospitalization and death due to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Such association is largely related to genetic predisposition and shared pathophysiological mechanisms and changes, which may precede the index pregnancy. Awareness of this association would allow identification of the at-risk women for implementation of preventive measures to reduce the recurrence risk of these complications and mitigate the future development of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases worldwide.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong. Electronic address: lao-tt@cuhk.edu.hk.
authors.forename: Terence T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Lao
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: cardiovascular diseases; fetal growth restriction; gestational diabetes mellitus; hypertensive disorders of pregnancy; metabolic complications; preterm birth