Maternal-fetal dyad beyond the phenomenology of pregnancy: from primordial cardiovascular prevention on out, do not miss this boat!

ABSTRACT

Pregnancy represents a stress test for every woman's cardiovascular (CV) system, and a pre-existing maternal unfavorable cardio-metabolic phenotype can uncover both adverse pregnancy outcomes and the subsequent development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors during and after pregnancy. Moreover, the maternal cardiac and extracardiac environment can affect offspring's cardiovascular health through a complex mechanism called developmental programming, in which fetal growth can be influenced by maternal conditions. This interaction continues later in life, as adverse developmental programming, along with lifestyle risk factors and genetic predisposition, can exacerbate and accelerate the development of CV risk factors and CVD in childhood and adolescence. The aim of this narrative review is to summarize the latest evidences regarding maternal-fetal dyad and its role on primordial, primary and secondary CV prevention.