Effect of reproductive history on longitudinal change in cardiac, vascular, and lipid parameters

The NHLBI NGHS enrolled 871 girls (50% Black and 50% white) in 1987 at age 9 or 10 and examined them up to 17 times, to age 27. This resulted in 7 echocardiogram reports from ages 20-27, multiple saved samples, and reproductive history questionnaires. We will conduct detailed lipoprotein sizing and functionality assessments from stored and new samples, cardiovascular imaging, and repeat echocardiograms at median age 46. Our aims are to determine the specific lipoprotein particle size distribution and function changes which occur from before to short- and long-term post-pregnancy; determine whether pregnancy-related cardiac adaptations result in long-term alterations in cardiac structure and function, thereby increasing CVD risk for women in their forties; and to test whether parity increases cardiovascular risk independently of socioeconomic status in Black and white women.

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