Figure 3. Putative mechanisms linking of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy to cardiovascular disease.

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are phenotypically heterogeneous, which likely reflects interactions between pre-existing maternal characteristics, genetics, and comorbidities (hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease), pregnancy-specific factors (nulliparity, multi-gestation and assisted reproduction), and an imbalance of placental biological pathways. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are linked to short-term vascular complications as well as earlier and increased risk of developing traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors and diverse cardiovascular conditions.

ART = assisted reproductive technology, CKD = chronic kidney disease, RAS = renin angiotensin system, ESRF = end stage renal failure, CAD = coronary artery disease