The following is a summary of “Joint Associations of Pregnancy Complications and Postpartum Maternal Renal Biomarkers With Severe Cardiovascular Morbidities: A US Racially and Ethnically Diverse Prospective Birth Cohort Study,” published in the November 2023 issue of Cardiology by Hong et al.

In a diverse Boston Birth cohort encompassing 566 mothers of various racial backgrounds, this prospective study aimed to explore the interplay between pregnancy complications, postpartum renal biomarkers, and subsequent severe maternal cardiovascular disease (CVD). Plasma creatinine and CysC (cystatin C) levels were measured within 1 to 3 days after delivery, and CVD diagnoses were based on electronic medical records over an average 10.3-year follow-up. While a nominal association was found between creatinine levels and CVD risk, a more notable link emerged with CysC: a 0.1 mg/L increase in CysC was connected with a 1.2 hazard ratio for CVD after adjustments. The highest risk of CVD was observed in mothers with preeclampsia and elevated CysC levels (>75th percentile), showing a significant fourfold risk compared to those without preeclampsia and normal CysC levels (≤75th percentile). However, individuals with preeclampsia alone or elevated CysC solely did not exhibit notably increased CVD risk. 

Comparable augmented risk for CVD was evident between CysC levels and preterm delivery, emphasizing a synergistic effect. These findings emphasize the importance of elevated maternal plasma CysC, in conjunction with pregnancy complications, as a potential independent predictor for future maternal CVD risk among underrepresented multiracial and multiethnic high-risk mothers in the United States, warranting further exploration.

Source: ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.122.029311