Publications by authors named "Deirdre J Mattina"

Article Synopsis
  • Maternal mortality in the U.S. is a significant public health issue, with cardiovascular disease (CVD) being a leading cause of related deaths and health complications.
  • Labor and delivery pose heightened risks for pregnant individuals with CVD, yet there is varied approach to management due to a lack of high-quality randomized studies.
  • To address this, a panel of experts including cardiologists and obstetricians has come together to create practical guidelines for managing labor and delivery for high-risk patients with CVD, covering aspects like delivery method, timing, and use of medical devices.
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Cardiovascular disease affects 37% of Hispanic women and is the leading cause of death among Hispanic women in the United States. Hispanic women have a higher burden of cardiovascular risk factors, are disproportionally affected by social determinants of health, and face additional barriers related to immigration, such as discrimination, language proficiency, and acculturation. Despite this, Hispanic women show lower rates of cardiovascular disease and mortality compared with non-Hispanic White women.

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Black women are disproportionately affected by cardiovascular disease with an excess burden of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. In addition, the racialized structure of the United States shapes cardiovascular disease research and health care delivery for Black women. Given the indisputable evidence of the disparities in health care delivery, research, and cardiovascular outcomes, there is an urgent need to develop and implement effective and sustainable solutions to advance cardiovascular health equity for Black women while considering their ethnic diversity, regions of origin, and acculturation.

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Cardiac biomarkers are widely used in the nonpregnant population when acute cardiovascular (CV) pathology is suspected; however, the behavior of these biomarkers in the context of pregnancy is less well understood. Pregnant individuals often have symptoms that mimic those of cardiac dysfunction, and complications of pregnancy may include CV disease. This paper will summarize our current knowledge on the use of cardiac biomarkers in pregnancy and provide suggestions on how to use these tools in clinical practice based on the available evidence.

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