title: Pulse Pressure Amplification and Arterial Stiffness in Low-Risk, Uncomplicated Pregnancies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Arterial stiffness, a composite indicator of vascular health and predictor of future cardiovascular (CV) disease and events, was assessed in low-risk, uncomplicated pregnancies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women with low-risk pregnancy were recruited consecutively (recruitment across the 3 trimesters). Vessel hemodynamics and arterial stiffness were measured every 4 weeks from recruitment until delivery and at 6.5 weeks postpartum.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-three women (maternal age: 32.7 ± 4.9 years) with low-risk, uncomplicated pregnancy were recruited. Mean arterial pressure (P = .04) and aortic pulse pressure (P = .03) decreased during pregnancy, whereas heart rate gradually increased until delivery (P = .0002) and decreased postpartum (P = .06). Pulse pressure amplification (PPA) and carotid-to-radial pulse wave velocity initially decreased in the second trimester, followed by a steady increase until delivery (P = .01 and P = .04, respectively). Interestingly, PPA sharply decreased postpartum (P = .01). Augmentation index and the subendocardial viability ratio significantly increased postpartum (P = .03 and .02, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The PPA increased steadily after the second trimester and was sharply decreased postpartum in low-risk, uncomplicated pregnancy. Longer and larger longitudinal studies will evaluate changes in PPA and its potential as a marker of CV risk later in women's life.
authors.affiliation: Division of Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Y H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Gomez
authors.affiliation: Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hudda
authors.affiliation: Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Noha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mahdi
authors.affiliation: Division of Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Anais
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hausvater
authors.affiliation: Division of Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Lucie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Opatrny
authors.affiliation: Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Royal Victoria Hospital, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Amira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El-Messidi
authors.affiliation: Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Royal Victoria Hospital, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gagnon
authors.affiliation: Division of Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada stella.daskalopoulou@mcgill.ca.
authors.forename: Stella S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Daskalopoulou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001158:Arteries / Q000502:physiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis / Q000379:methods; D012306:Risk; D059289:Vascular Stiffness / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: arterial stiffness; low-risk pregnancy; postpartum; pulse pressure amplification; pulse wave velocity