Why heart attacks cause so much more damage in late pregnancy
Monday, July 2, 2012 - 13:00
in Health & Medicine
While research has shown that the heart typically functions better during pregnancy due to a rise in cardiac pumping capacity to meet increased demands, a new study in rats and mice demonstrates that heart attacks occurring in the last trimester or late months of pregnancy result in worse heart function and more damaged heart tissue than heart attacks among non-pregnant females. This early study may help identify and better understand the mechanisms involved in the higher risks of heart disease during pregnancy.