Pregnancy complications and women's long-term heart health
Adverse pregnancy outcomes and long-term risk of cardiovascular disease in women
This project looks at whether complications during pregnancy predict higher risk of heart and blood vessel disease later in life for women.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11412771 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you've had a pregnancy, researchers will use medical and national registry records for millions of pregnancies to track women's heart and vascular health for up to 48 years after pregnancy. They will compare women who had complications like preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, preterm birth, or fetal growth restriction with those who did not, and will examine outcomes such as heart attack, stroke, heart failure, and arrhythmias. The team will use long-term follow-up and family data to separate pregnancy-related risks from inherited risks. The goal is to identify which pregnancy complications signal higher lifetime heart risk and when earlier monitoring or prevention might help.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Women who have been pregnant, especially those who experienced preeclampsia, other hypertensive disorders, gestational diabetes, fetal growth restriction, or preterm delivery, are the primary focus.
Not a fit: Women who were never pregnant or who lack linked health records in the registries analyzed are unlikely to be included or directly benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help doctors identify young women at higher lifetime risk for cardiovascular disease so they can offer earlier monitoring and prevention.
How similar studies have performed: Smaller studies have linked pregnancy complications to later heart disease, but this large, long-term registry analysis is more comprehensive and aims to confirm and refine those findings.
Where this research is happening
Houston, United States
- University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston — Houston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Crump, Casey — University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston
- Study coordinator: Crump, Casey
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.