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The Role of Cardiac Biomarkers in Pregnancy
1Division of Cardiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
Insights
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of death in pregnancy. This review explores cardiac biomarkers for diagnosing and monitoring CVD in pregnant women, aiding risk assessment and management.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology and Obstetrics
- Maternal-Fetal Medicine
- Biomarker Research
Background:
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the primary cause of pregnancy-associated mortality.
- The pregnant population is increasingly complex, necessitating advanced cardiovascular risk assessment.
- Existing tools for monitoring CVD in pregnancy require enhancement, especially for symptomatic cases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the role of novel and established cardiac biomarkers in diagnosing and managing CVD during pregnancy.
- To discuss the behavior of various biomarkers in normal and complicated pregnancies.
- To highlight the need for accessible tools for cardiovascular risk assessment in pregnant individuals.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of normal pregnancy hemodynamics.
- Analysis of cardiac biomarker behavior in normal and complicated pregnancies.
- Synthesis of current research on diagnostic and monitoring tools for CVD in pregnancy.
Main Results:
- Pregnancy involves significant hemodynamic changes that affect cardiovascular physiology.
- Cardiac biomarkers exhibit distinct patterns in normal versus complicated pregnancies.
- Emerging research supports the use of cardiac biomarkers for CVD assessment in pregnant individuals.
Conclusions:
- Cardiac biomarkers show promise for diagnosing and monitoring CVD in pregnancy.
- Understanding biomarker behavior is crucial for managing cardiovascular risk in pregnant women.
- Further research is needed to develop widely accessible tools for CVD management in pregnancy.
Opinion Statement:
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of pregnancy-associated mortality, with an increasingly complex pregnant population. While our understanding of CVD in pregnancy continues to evolve, there remains a need to develop widely accessible tools to follow pregnant women both with and without preexisting disease with respect to cardiovascular risk, particularly for those presenting with symptoms suggestive of cardiovascular pathology. Thus, research is emerging with respect to the potential role of novel and established cardiac biomarkers in diagnosing and following CVD in pregnancy. Here, we review the normal hemodynamics of pregnancy and the behavior of various biomarkers in both normal and complicated pregnancies.
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