Subclinical atherosclerosis in women after pre-eclampsia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Women with pre-eclampsia are at increased risk of later-life cardiovascular disease (CVD). Despite suggestions that women affected by pre-eclampsia should undergo routine CVD screening, uniform recommendations are lacking. Subclinical atherosclerosis provides a window of opportunity to identify and treat those at risk of CVD. Coronary artery calcium scoring (CAC), carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and ankle brachial index (ABI) are effective methods of detecting subclinical atherosclerosis. This systematic review sought to explore associations between timing of measurement and presence of subclinical atherosclerosis in women with a history of pre-eclampsia.

We searched the MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL databases for all studies which reported subclinical atherosclerosis in women with a history of pre-eclampsia. Common and random effects models were used to examine the associations between pre-eclampsia and subclinical atherosclerosis.

35 case-control studies comprising 20 235 women were included in the final analysis. 3376 had a history of pre-eclampsia. Among the 26 studies assessing CIMT, pre-eclampsia was associated with increased CIMT (standardised mean difference 0.63 (95% CI 0.32, 0.93)). This difference was present during pregnancy (0.65 (95% CI 0.33, 0.98)) and persisted for 12 months post partum (0.84 (95% CI 0.20, 1.47)) and beyond (0.50 (95% CI 0.01, 0.99)). Pooled analysis of the eight CAC studies also demonstrated that the odds of having subclinical atherosclerosis were 1.57 (95% CI 1.39, 1.77) times higher in women with a history of pre-eclampsia.

Among women with a history of pre-eclampsia, subclinical atherosclerosis can be seen during pregnancy and persists long term. Our review supports the importance of early follow-up in patients who have had pre-eclampsia.