Stanford Health Policy is a joint effort of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and the Stanford School of Medicine
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among women in the U.S. and identification of sex-specific risk factors could enhance cardiovascular risk assessment and prevention. Pregnancy is an exposure unique to women: 85% of women give birth at least once in their lives, and up to 30% may experience an adverse pregnancy outcome (APO). The associations of APOs, such as gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, preterm delivery, and low birth weight, with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) later in life have only recently been examined. In this large multiethnic cohort of women, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and low birth weight were independently associated with ASCVD after adjustment for risk factors and other APOs.