title: Cardiac medication during pregnancy, data from the ROPAC.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Data on pharmacological management during pregnancy are scarce. The aim of this study was to describe the type and frequency of cardiac medication used in pregnancy in patients with cardiovascular disease and to assess the relationship between medication use and fetal outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between 2007 and 2011 sixty hospitals in 28 countries enrolled 1321 pregnant women. All patients had structural heart disease (congenital 66%, valvular 25% or cardiomyopathy 7% or ischemic 2%). Medication was used by 424 patients (32%) at some time during pregnancy: 22% used beta-blockers, 8% antiplatelet agents, 7% diuretics, 2.8% ACE inhibitors and 0.5% statins. Compared to those who did not take medication, patients taking medication were older, more likely to be parous, have valvular heart disease and were less often in sinus rhythm. The odds ratio of fetal adverse events in users versus non-users of medication was 2.6 (95% CI 2.0-3.4) and after adjustment for cardiac and obstetric parameter was 2.0 (95% CI 1.4-2.7). Babies of patients treated with beta-blockers had a significantly lower adjusted birth weight (3140 versus 3240 g, p = 0.002). The highest rate of fetal malformation was found in patients taking ACE inhibitors (8%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  One third of pregnant women with heart disease used cardiac medication during their pregnancy, which was associated with an increased rate of adverse fetal events. Birth weight was significantly lower in children of patients taking beta-blockers. A randomized trial is needed to distinguish the effects of the medication from the effects of the underlying maternal cardiac condition.
authors.affiliation: Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Titia P E
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Ruys
authors.affiliation: ANMCO Research Centre, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Aldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maggioni
authors.affiliation: Imperial College London, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Mark R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Hatter Institute for Cardiovascular Research in Africa, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sliwa
authors.affiliation: GVM Care & Research, E.S. Health Science Foundation, Maria Cecilia Hospital, Cotignola, Italy.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tavazzi
authors.affiliation: Inselspital (University Hospital), Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schwerzmann
authors.affiliation: Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Petros
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nihoyannopoulos
authors.affiliation: Ljubljana University Medical Center, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Mirta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kozelj
authors.affiliation: McGill Adult Congenital Heart Disease Unit, Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: Ariane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marelli
authors.affiliation: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Uri
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Elkayam
authors.affiliation: Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, Norwich, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.affiliation: Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands. Electronic address: j.roos@erasmusmc.nl.
authors.forename: Jolien W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Roos-Hesselink
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D002317:Cardiovascular Agents
keywords: Beta-blockers; Heart disease; Medication; Neonatal outcome; Pregnancy