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Updated: Feb 12, 2026

Author Spotlight: A Pharmacodissection Approach to Uncover Mechanisms in Cardiovascular Disease Risk Populations
Published on: July 21, 2023
Mechanisms and Clinical Significance of Endothelial Dysfunction in High-Risk Pregnancies
Kelsey McLaughlin1, Melanie C Audette2, John D Parker3
1Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Sinai Health System, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; The Centre for Women's and Infant's Health at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Abstract:
The maternal cardiovascular system undergoes critical anatomic and functional adaptations to achieve a successful pregnancy outcome which, if disrupted, can result in complications that significantly affect maternal and fetal health. Complications that involve the maternal cardiovascular system are among the most common disorders of pregnancy, including gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and impaired fetal growth. As a central feature, maternal endothelial dysfunction is hypothesized to play a predominant role in mediating the pathogenesis of these high-risk pregnancies, and as such, might proceed and precipitate the clinical presentation of these pregnancy disorders. Improving or normalizing maternal endothelial function in high-risk pregnancies might be an effective therapeutic strategy to ameliorate maternal and fetal clinical outcomes.
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