Overview

• An analysis of more than 56,000 pregnancies in the Mass General Brigham system (2001–2019) found a steady increase in cardiovascular-related complications.
• Conditions tallied included heart attack, stroke, heart failure, blood clots, hypertensive disorders and maternal death, affecting roughly 15% of pregnancies.
• The rise tracked with higher prevalence of modifiable risk factors: obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
• Increases were most pronounced among those with existing cardiovascular disease but were seen across age groups and among people without prior heart disease.
• Experts recommend engaging with clinicians before, during and after pregnancy to identify and manage risks, noting the study reflects a single New England health system and was published in Circulation.