Abstract
Cardiovascular conditions associated with pregnancy are serious complications. In general, depression is a well-known risk indicator for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Mental distress and depression are associated with physiological responses such as inflammation and oxidative stress. Both inflammation and oxidative stress have been implicated in the pathophysiology of CVDs associated with pregnancy. This article discusses whether depression could represent a risk indicator for CVDs in pregnancy, in particular in pre-eclampsia and peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM).
Highlights
Cardiovascular conditions associated with pregnancy are serious complications
This article discusses whether depression could represent a risk indicator for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in pregnancy, in particular in pre-eclampsia and peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM)
Cardiovascular conditions associated with pregnancy, such as peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) and pre-eclampsia, could result in serious cardiovascular complications.[2,3]
Summary
Major compensatory changes are made by the maternal heart to accommodate the demands of pregnancy and lactation.[9] In pregnancy, the foreign material of the foetus is not rejected by the maternal immune system,[10] as increased oxidative stress during the first trimester prevents this rejection.[11] During pregnancy women experience a reversible adaptive cardiac hypertrophy (Fig. 1) and reduced relaxation of diastolic function, whereas in healthy women this regresses to normal following childbirth.[12]. The physiological changes associated with pregnancy, such as increased oxidative stress and circulatory changes, place a burden on the cardiovascular system of pregnant women (Fig. 1).[1] Cardiovascular conditions associated with pregnancy, such as peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) and pre-eclampsia, could result in serious cardiovascular complications.[2,3]. Clinic for Internal Medicine III, Cardiology, Angiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital of Saarland, Homburg/Saar, Germany Sonja Wedegärtner, Dip (Psychol) Ingrid Kindermann, PhD (Med) Michael Böhm, MD, FESC
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