PP001. The vascular tree during pregnancy and at follow-up - A longitudinal study of maternal vascular function

Normal maternal vascular function and optimal cardiovascular adaptation to the increasing demands of pregnancy is a prerequisite for a successful outcome of pregnancy. How different levels of the vascular tree react and interact during pregnancy has not been fully investigated previously but may be determined by genetic as well as maternal, fetal and environmental factors.

To investigate how different levels of vascular function change during the course of pregnancy and relate these levels to each other.

Healthy non smoking women with singleton pregnancies and a viable embryo recorded at the ultrasound departments of UltraGyn Stockholm, Sweden were recruited. The following cardiovascular examinations were performed: examination of structural changes of the heart: Echocardiography of the heart with Doppler examination and tissue Doppler. Examination of macrocirculation, vessel structure and function plus endothelial function: Intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery, pulse wave velocity, central blood pressure and flow mediated vasodilation. Examination of microvascular function in the skin and endothelial function: total circulation of the skin and capillary flow in nails. The microcirculation before, during and after iontophoresis with nitroprussid and acetylcholine. The investigations were performed in gestational week 11-14, 22-24, 36 and 9 months post partum.

In total 35 participants had a normal course of pregnancy. Curves of the development of the various cardiovascular variables will be presented according to gestational age and their place in the vascular tree.

These curves will be used to investigate how various determinants such as blood pressure, fetal growth and body mass index, as well as fetal sex affects and are affected by cardiovascular function in pregnancy.