Cardiovascular risk evaluation in pregnancy: focus on cardiac specific biomarkers.

Abstract

Despite the evidence demonstrating the clinical utility of cardiac specific biomarkers in improving cardiovascular risk evaluation in several clinical conditions, even the most recent reviews and guidelines fail to consider theirmeasurement in order to enhance the accuracy of theevaluation of cardiovascular risk in pregnant women. The aim of this review article was to examine whether theassayof cardiac specific biomarkers can enhance cardiovascular risk evaluation in pregnant women, first by reviewing the relationships between the physiological state of pregnancy and cardiac specific biomarkers. The clinical relevance ofbrain natriuretic peptide (BNP)/NT-proBNP and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I/high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnI/hs-cTnT) assay in improving cardiovascular risk evaluation is examined based on the results of clinical studies on subjects with normal and those with complicated pregnancy. Finally, the analytical approaches and clinical objectives related to cardio specific biomarkers are advocated in order to allow an early and more accurate evaluation of cardiovascular risk in pregnant women.