Topic Overview:
Preterm birth (delivery before 37 weeks) is the most common complication of pregnancy, affecting greater than 12 percent of U.S. births. It is the dominant cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality.  Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among women, and emerging evidence suggests that women who deliver preterm infants are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease later in life. However, mechanisms linking the two conditions are not well understood.

Catov’s data indicate that cardiovascular risk is particularly high in women who have had recurrent preterm births, suggesting common predisposing factors. Her laboratory reported that women who deliver preterm often have dyslipidemia before, during, and after pregnancy, perhaps related to inflammation. They also found that women who delivered preterm were more likely to have endothelial dysfunction and early atherosclerosis eight years after pregnancy.  Catov hypothesizes that, in women who deliver preterm, dyslipidemia and inflammation converge in early pregnancy to compromise placentation, and these women may go on to have excess cardiovascular risk later in life.