Management of cardiovascular diseases during pregnancy

The prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in women of childbearing age is rising. The successes in medical and surgical treatment of congenital heart disease have led to an increasing number of women at childbearing age presenting with problems of treated congenital heart disease. Furthermore, in developing countries and in immigrants from these countries, rheumatic valvular heart disease still plays a significant role in young women. Increasing age of pregnant women and increasing prevalence of atherosclerotic risk factors have led to an increase in women with coronary artery disease at pregnancy. Successful management of pregnancy in women with CVDs requires early diagnosis, a thorough risk stratification, and appropriate management by a multidisciplinary team of obstetricians, cardiologists, anesthesiologists, and primary care physicians. The following review is based on the recent European guidelines on the management of CVDs during pregnancy, which aim at providing concise and simple recommendations for these challenging problems.