USA: Prenatal Depression and Cardiovascular Disease Risk

According to a new study published in JAHA: Journal of American Heart Association, pregnant individuals with prenatal depression have an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the first two years postpartum.

The study aimed to assess the cumulative risk of new CVD in the first 24 months after birth between pregnant women who had prenatal depression and those who did not have depression throughout pregnancy.

The study conducted by researchers at the Maine Medical Center included over 119,422 pregnancies from 2007-2019 with Maine Health Data Org.'s claims data, excluding those with certain conditions. Depression and CVD were identified by ICD-9/10 codes, and hazard ratios were estimated with Cox models. Analyses were stratified by a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy.

Key Takeaways

• Prenatal depression was associated with an increased risk of ischemic heart disease, arrhythmia/cardiac arrest, cardiomyopathy, and new hypertension.
• Adjusted hazard ratios ranged from 1.32 to 1.83, which indicates a statistically significant increased risk of CVD in pregnant individuals with prenatal depression compared to those without depression.
• Several of these associations persisted even when stratified by co-occurring hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

These findings are particularly important given that depression is a common complication during pregnancy, affecting up to 20% of women. If left untreated, prenatal depression can have negative impacts on both the mother and the baby. This study suggests that there may be short-term as well as long-term implications.

The researchers of the study said that “Further research is needed to determine the causal pathway between prenatal depression and postpartum CVD. However, they suggest that these findings can inform postpartum CVD preventive measures. This may include increased screening and monitoring for depression during pregnancy, as well as providing appropriate mental health treatment when needed.”

Reference

Ackerman-Banks C., Lipkind H., Palmsten K., Pfeiffer M., Gelsinger C., Ahrens K.; Association of Prenatal Depression With New Cardiovascular Disease Within 24 Months Postpartum; Journal of the American Heart Association. 2023;0:e028133; doi: https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.122.028133