Better Cardiovascular Health in Pregnancy May ID Cardiometabolic Risk

FRIDAY, July 24, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Better cardiovascular health (CVH) during pregnancy is associated with longer time to incident postdelivery diagnosis of cardiometabolic conditions, according to a study published online June 29 in JAMA Network Open.

Ellen C. Francis, Ph.D., from Rutgers School of Public Health in Piscataway, New Jersey, and colleagues examined CVH during pregnancy using a modified Life”s Essential 8 (mLE8) score in association with time to incident cardiometabolic disease in a cohort study using electronic medical record surveillance for seven years postpartum. The cohort included 1,225 singleton pregnancies in individuals aged 18 to 44 years without preexisting diabetes or cardiovascular disease.

The researchers noted 499 incident cardiometabolic events during a median follow-up of 6.2 years. There was an association seen for each 10-point higher mLE8 score with a longer time to incident diagnosis of chronic hypertensive conditions and chronic metabolic conditions (time ratios, 1.26 and 1.20, respectively). Associations were seen for healthier hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, glucose, body mass index, and sleep scores with longer time to diagnosis of chronic metabolic conditions (time ratios, 1.06, 1.15, 1.07, and 1.05, respectively). After excluding individuals with gestational diabetes or hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, associations were generally similar.

“There is growing recognition that pregnancy can reveal a woman”s underlying susceptibility to future cardiometabolic disease,” Francis said in a statement. “Our findings extend that work by showing that a broader assessment of cardiovascular health during pregnancy may provide information beyond the presence or absence of gestational diabetes or hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.”

Abstract/Full Text