title: Adverse pregnancy outcomes and cardiovascular risk factor management.
abstract: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading health threat to American women. In addition to establish risk factors for hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, smoking, and obesity, adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) including pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, and gestational diabetes are now recognized as factors that increase a woman's risk for future CVD. CVD risk factor burden is disproportionately higher in those of low socioeconomic status and in ethnic/racial minority women. Since younger women often use their obstetrician/gynecologist as their primary health provider, this is an opportune time to diagnose and treat CVD risk factors early. Embedding preventive care providers such as nurse practitioners or physician assistants within OB/GYN practices can be considered, with referral to family medicine or internist for ongoing risk assessment and management. The American Heart Association (AHA)/American Stroke Association (ASA) stroke prevention guidelines tailored to women recommend that women with a history of pre-eclampsia can be evaluated for hypertension and other CVD risk factors within 6 months to 1-year post-partum. Given the burden and impact of CVD on women in our society, the entire medical community must work to establish feasible practice and referral patterns for assessment and treatment of CVD risk factors.
authors.affiliation: Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center, Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute, 127 S San Vicente Blvd, AHSP3600, Los Angeles, CA 90048.
authors.forename: Puja K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Mehta
authors.affiliation: Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center, Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute, 127 S San Vicente Blvd, AHSP3600, Los Angeles, CA 90048.
authors.forename: Margo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Minissian
authors.affiliation: Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center, Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute, 127 S San Vicente Blvd, AHSP3600, Los Angeles, CA 90048; Women's Guild Endowed Chair in Women's Health, Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute, Los Angeles, CA; Preventive Cardiac Center, Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute, Los Angeles, CA; Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute, Los Angeles, CA. Electronic address: Noel.BaireyMerz@cshs.org.
authors.forename: C Noel
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Bairey Merz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000458:organization & administration*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D015431:Weight Loss; D016387:Women's Health
keywords: Cardiovascular disease; Gestational diabetes; Pre-eclampsia; Women