Cardiac function, myocardial mechano-energetic efficiency, and ventricular-arterial coupling in normal pregnancy.

Objective: To assess cardiac function, myocardial mechanoenergetic efficiency (MEE), and ventricular-arterial coupling (VAC) longitudinally during normal pregnancy, and to study if there was an association between cardiac structure and function, and fetal growth.

Methods: Cardiac structure and function, MEE, and ventricular-arterial coupling was assessed longitudinally in 52 healthy nulliparous women at 14, 24, and 34 weeks' gestation and 9-month postpartum.

Results: Left atrial diameter increased during pregnancy (30.

PP001. The vascular tree during pregnancy and at follow-up - A longitudinal study of maternal vascular function.

Introduction: Normal maternal vascular function and optimal cardiovascular adaptation to the increasing demands of pregnancy is a prerequisite for a successful outcome of pregnancy. How different levels of the vascular tree react and interact during pregnancy has not been fully investigated previously but may be determined by genetic as well as maternal, fetal and environmental factors.

Objective: To investigate how different levels of vascular function change during the course of pregnancy and relate these levels to each other.