Prepregnancy obesity is a known risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) and cardiovascular disease (CVD), but its role as a marker or mediator remains uncertain. To investigate this further, a study has analyzed data from 4,269 women across nine countries to assess whether APOs mediate the relationship between prepregnancy BMI and midlife cardiovascular risk. The study found that women with prepregnancy obesity had higher mean arterial pressure (7.0 mm Hg), triglycerides (28.5 mg/dL), and HbA1c (0.3%) compared to those with a normal prepregnancy BMI at a mean age of 41.7 years.
Gestational diabetes was found to partially mediate 24.6% of the association between obesity and HbA1c, while new-onset hypertensive disorders partially mediated 12.4% of the association between obesity and mean arterial pressure. These findings indicate that, while adverse pregnancy outcomes play a…
