Medically Speaking Team

In vitro fertilization (IVF) has become a ray of hope for couples facing fertility challenges. However, there are numerous myths and misconceptions surrounding IVF that can lead to confusion and misinformation. In this article, we will debunk common myths and present the facts about IVF, providing you with accurate information to better understand this effective fertility treatment option.

Myth 1: IVF is the first-line treatment for infertility.
Fact: IVF is not always the initial treatment for infertility. In many cases, couples can explore less invasive and more cost-effective treatments, such as fertility medications, intrauterine insemination (IUI), or lifestyle modifications. IVF is typically recommended when other treatments have been unsuccessful or when specific infertility factors require more advanced intervention.

Myth 2: IVF guarantees a successful pregnancy.
Fact: While IVF has significantly improved pregnancy success rates, it does not guarantee a positive outcome in every case. Success rates depend on various factors, including the age of the woman, the quality of the embryos, and underlying fertility issues. It’s important to have realistic expectations and understand that multiple IVF cycles may be necessary to achieve a successful pregnancy.

Myth 3: IVF is only for older women.
Fact: While age can impact IVF success rates, it is not a limiting factor. IVF can benefit women of various age groups, including those with blocked fallopian tubes, endometriosis, or ovulation disorders. Younger women generally have higher success rates due to better egg quality and ovarian reserve, but IVF can be a viable option for women of all ages.

Myth 4: IVF increases the risk of multiple pregnancies.
Fact: IVF does carry a slightly higher risk of multiple pregnancies compared to natural conception. However, advances in technology and medical protocols have made it possible to reduce this risk significantly. Fertility specialists can carefully monitor and control the number of embryos transferred during IVF to minimize the chance of multiple pregnancies and their associated complications.

Myth 5: IVF is the same for everyone.
Fact: IVF is a personalized treatment that is tailored to each individual or couple’s specific circumstances.
The protocols, medications, and procedures involved in IVF can vary based on factors such as age, underlying fertility issues, and medical history. Fertility specialists assess each case individually and design a customized treatment plan to optimize the chances of success.

Myth 6: IVF always involves genetic manipulation.
Fact: IVF itself does not involve genetic manipulation. However, there is an advanced technique called pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT), which can be performed during IVF. PGT allows the screening of embryos for certain genetic disorders or chromosomal abnormalities before they are transferred to the uterus. PGT is an optional procedure and is not a mandatory part of IVF.

Myth 7: IVF is extremely painful and risky.
Fact: IVF is generally a well-tolerated procedure with minimal discomfort. The process involves using fertility medications to stimulate egg production, followed by egg retrieval under mild sedation.

Conclusion
Understanding the myths and facts about IVF is crucial for anyone considering or undergoing fertility treatment.Remember, consulting with a qualified fertility specialist is essential to receive personalized guidance and determine the most suitable treatment approach based on your unique circumstances.
Trustworthy information and professional support are key to making informed decisions and increasing your chances of a successful outcome with IVF.
The author is a MD (AIIMS) DSAGE (Germany) and Senior Gynecologist, Laparoscopic Surgeon & Infertility Specialist.

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Mansukh Mandaviya held various bilateral meetings with member countries at the 76th World Health Assembly, in Geneva, Switzerland.

According to a press statement from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, highlighting India’s G20 Presidency philosophy of “One Earth, One Family, One Future”, the Union Health Minister stated, “Jamaica lauded India’s achievement in digital health, pharmaceuticals, and health system strengthening and agreed to sign MoU to institutionalize collaboration in the healthcare sector.” Commending India’s health priorities, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director General of, the World Health Organization praised India’s progress in its G20 presidency, as well as its pursuit of advancing digital health and traditional medicine.

Aligned with India’s health goals, the deliberations with the United States Secretary of Health, Xavier Becerra centred on collaboration in healthcare and pharma sectors as well as issues related to Global Health Architecture.

The Maldives delegation expressed their gratitude for India’s aid for vaccine support during the Covid-19 pandemic and expressed their desire to collaborate with India in the areas of drone technology, research and innovation research, and health system strengthening.

Dr Hilal bin Ali bin Al Sabti, Minister of Health, Oman, vastly appreciated India’s G20 health priorities and agreed to strengthen the collaboration in pharmaceuticals, digital health, communicable diseases, and digital health.

Moreover, the Union Minister of Health congratulated Nisia Trindade Lima Minister of Health, Brazil on the upcoming G20 presidency as well as agreeing to participate in future endeavours pertaining to health workforce capacity building, disease surveillance, TB eradication, AMR, and traditional medicine

Mandaviya also conducted bilateral meetings with the Health Ministers of Bangladesh, Iran, Innovators, Venezuela, Argentina exploring areas of collaboration in fortifying healthcare systems and enhancing capacities for disease surveillance, eradication of Tuberculosis, Anti-Microbial resistance and capacity building amongst other domains.

The World Health Organization today commended Sri Lanka for enacting a legislation on trans-fat to protect health and prevent premature deaths from coronary heart disease.

“Eliminating trans-fats from food supplies is a cost-effective measure with enormous health benefits. By enacting legislation on trans-fat, Sri Lanka has once again demonstrated its resolve to protect and promote health of its people,” said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia.

The legislation restricts levels of industrially produced trans fats in oil and food, and bans partially hydrogenated oils, the primary source of trans fats in food.

Since 2018 WHO has been working with countries for eliminating trans fat from food supply. High trans fat intake increases the risk of death from any cause by 34%, coronary heart disease deaths by 28% and coronary heart disease by 21%.

In WHO South-East Asia Region, 9 million deaths, almost 69 percent of all deaths, are due to non-communicable diseases, with cardiovascular diseases being a major cause.

WHO has been advocating for multi-sectoral approach to address non-communicable diseases in South-East Asia Region as flagship priority since 2014.

The Regional Director said accelerating progress towards eliminating trans-fat through best-practice policies, monitoring and surveillance and healthy oil replacements can drive progress in our efforts to address non-communicable diseases.

In 2018, WHO released REPLACE, a step-by-step guide to help achieve elimination of industrially produced trans-fatty acids from the global food supply by 2023.

The Region continues to make significant headway against trans fats, in collaboration with Resolve to Save Lives by implementing the REPLACE protocol across Member countries.

By 2022, Thailand, India and Bangladesh had adopted regulations for the elimination of trans fatty acids in the food supply. With Sri Lanka implementing new regulations, the collective efforts by countries would now potentially protect over 1.6 billion people from the harm caused by trans fatty acids.

Nepal and Indonesia are making good progress to limit trans fats and Bhutan, Maldives, Myanmar and Timor-Leste have made policy commitments.

Implementation of trans fat regulations to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases is part of SEA HEARTS initiative launched recently by the South-East Asia Region that aims to accelerate action to reduce deaths due to cardiovascular diseases.

Trans fats can be easily replaced with healthier alternatives without compromising the taste or availability of food, to enhance the health and wellbeing of people and also help attain the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets of reducing premature deaths from noncommunicable diseases by one-third by 2030.

Hypertension is the single most important leading cause of cardiovascular disease mortality globally and in the WHO South-East Asia Region. With almost half of the people with hypertension in the Region unaware of their condition there is urgent need to scale up hypertension services, to prevent, detect and control hypertension.

“Hypertension is often called a ‘silent killer’ as many people are unaware of their problem which if left untreated, can lead to disability, poor quality of life or even a deadly heart attack or stroke,” said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia Region, adding that “the only way to know is to get your blood pressure checked regularly.”

While a quarter of the adult population in the WHO South-East Asia Region has high blood pressure, only one in three are on treatment while just one in ten adults with the condition have it under control.

Modifiable risk factors for hypertension include unhealthy diets such as excessive salt consumption, a diet high in saturated fat and trans fats, low intake of fruits and vegetables; physical inactivity; consumption of tobacco and alcohol; and being overweight or obese. Lifestyle changes like eating a healthier diet, quitting tobacco and being more active can help lower the risk of blood pressure.

“Hypertension disproportionately impacts low-and middle-income countries, affecting not just health but all areas of social and economic development,” said Dr Khetrapal Singh.

Since 2014, prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) has been a flagship priority in the Region with targeted efforts to combat hypertension and control NCDs through evidence-based and cost-effective ‘best buys.’

Making focused efforts, all countries in the region have established baseline population salt intakes to study consumption patterns in comparison to WHO recommended salt intake of less than 5g per person per day.

Three countries are implementing front-of-the-pack labelling for consumer awareness. Around 1.6 billion people are protected from the negative effects of industrially produced trans fats through legislation limiting trans fats in food. The Region has witnessed the steepest decline in tobacco use and is on track to achieve an average reduction of almost 32% by 2025.

The Region is prioritizing actions through South-East Asia HEARTS initiative (SEA HEARTS) which strives to bring together tobacco control, salt reduction, and elimination of industrial trans-fat along with hypertension and diabetes coverage and control through primary health care.

Over the past five years, 10 million more people with hypertension have accessed protocol-based management, almost doubling the control rate, from 26% to 47%.

Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control it, Live Longer, is the theme of this year’s World Hypertension Day which aims to raise awareness of importance of hypertension and its serious medical complications while emphasizing on prevention, detection and treatment.

“Together, the achievement of these targets will significantly increase our prospect of attaining the NCD-related SDGs to reduce premature NCD mortality by one-third, and create a healthier, more equitable and sustainable South-East Asia Region for all,” said Dr Khetrapal Singh.

WHO remains committed to supporting countries to reduce hypertension as a public health problem and accelerate progress in ensuring equitable access to hypertension services so that people can live a healthy life to their full potential.

MIT engineers have designed a new nanoparticle sensor that could detect early diagnosis of cancer with a simple urine test. The sensors, which can diagnose many different cancerous proteins, could also be used to distinguish the type of a tumour or how it is responding to treatment.

The nanoparticles are designed so that when they encounter a tumour, they shed short sequences of DNA that are excreted in the urine. Analyzing these DNA “barcodes” can reveal distinguishing features of a particular patient’s tumour. The researchers designed their test so that it can be performed using a strip of paper, similar to an at-home Covid test, which they hope could make it affordable and accessible to as many patients as possible.

“We are trying to innovate in a context of making technology available to low- and middle-resource settings. Putting this diagnostic on paper is part of our goal of democratizing diagnostics and creating inexpensive technologies that can give you a fast answer at the point of care,” says Sangeeta Bhatia, the John and Dorothy Wilson Professor of Health Sciences and Technology and of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT and a member of MIT’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Institute for Medical Engineering and Science.

In tests in mice, the researchers showed that they could use the sensors to detect the activity of five different enzymes that are expressed in tumours. They also showed that their approach could be scaled up to distinguish at least 46 different DNA barcodes in a single sample, using a microfluidic device to analyze the samples.
Bhatia is the senior author of the paper, which appears today in Nature Nanotechnology. Liangliang Hao, a former MIT research scientist who is now an assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Boston University, is the lead author of the study.

DNA barcodes

For several years, Bhatia’s lab has been developing “synthetic biomarkers” that could be used to diagnose cancer. This work builds on the concept of detecting cancer biomarkers, such as proteins or circulating tumour cells, in a patient’s blood sample. These naturally occurring biomarkers are so rare that it’s nearly impossible to find them, especially at an early stage, but synthetic biomarkers can be used to amplify smaller-scale changes that occur within small tumours.
In previous work, Bhatia created nanoparticles that can detect the activity of enzymes called proteases, which help cancer cells to escape their original locations, or settle into new ones, by cutting through proteins of the extracellular matrix. The nanoparticles are coated with peptides that are cleaved by different proteases, and once these peptides are released into the bloodstream, they can then be concentrated and more easily detected in a urine sample.
The original peptide biomarkers were designed to be detected based on small engineered variations in their mass, using a mass spectrometer. This kind of equipment might not be available in low-resource settings, so the researchers set out to develop sensors that could be analyzed more easily and affordably, using DNA barcodes that can be read using CRISPR technology.

For this approach to work, the researchers had to use a chemical modification called phosphorothioate to protect the circulating DNA reporter barcodes from being broken down in the blood. This modification has already been used to improve the stability of modern RNA vaccines, allowing them to survive longer in the body.
Similar to the peptide reporters, each DNA barcode is attached to a nanoparticle by a linker that can be cleaved by a specific protease. If that protease is present, the DNA molecule is released and free to circulate, eventually ending up in the urine. For this study, the researchers used two different types of nanoparticles: one, a particle made from polymers that have been FDA-approved for use in humans, and the other a “nanobody” — an antibody fragment that can be designed to accumulate at a tumour site.

Once the sensors are secreted in the urine, the sample can be analyzed using a paper strip that recognizes a reporter that is activated by a CRISPR enzyme called Cas12a. When a particular DNA barcode is present in the sample, Cas12a amplifies the signal so that it can be seen as a dark strip on a paper test.
The particles can be designed to carry many different DNA barcodes, each of which detects a different type of protease activity, which allows for “multiplexed” sensing. Using a larger number of sensors provides a boost in both sensitivity and specificity, allowing the test to more easily distinguish between tumour types.

Disease signatures

In tests in mice, the researchers showed that a panel of five DNA barcodes could accurately distinguish tumours that first arose in the lungs from tumours formed by colorectal cancer cells that had metastasized to the lungs.
“Our goal here is to build up disease signatures and to see whether we can use these barcoded panels not only read out a disease but also to classify a disease or distinguish different cancer types,” Hao says.

For use in humans, the researchers expect that they may need to use more than five barcodes because there is so much variety between patients’ tumours. To help reach that goal, they worked with researchers at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard led by Harvard University Professor Pardis Sabeti, to create a microfluidic chip that can be used to read up to 46 different DNA barcodes from one sample.

This kind of testing could be used not only for detecting cancer, but also for measuring how well a patient’s tumor responds to treatment and whether it has recurred after treatment. The researchers are now working on further developing the particles with the goal of testing them in humans. Glympse Bio, a company co-founded by Bhatia, has performed phase 1 clinical trials of an earlier version of the urinary diagnostic particles and found them to be safe in patients.

In addition to Bhatia, Hao, and Sabeti, the study’s co-authors include Renee T. Zhao, Nicole L. Welch, Edward Kah Wei Tan, Qian Zhong, Nour Saida Harzallah, Chayanon Ngambenjawong, Henry Ko, and Heather E. Fleming.
The research was funded by the Koch Institute Support (core) Grant from the National Cancer Institute, a Core Center Grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the Marble Center for Cancer Nanomedicine at the Koch Institute, the Koch Institute Frontier Research Program, the Virginia and D.K. Ludwig Fund for Cancer Research, and a Pathway to Independence Award from the National Cancer Institute.

According to a recent study, having both diabetes and tooth loss correlates to lower cognitive function and quicker cognitive decline in older persons.

The findings of the study published in a special edition of the Journal of Dental Research focused on ageing and oral health. “Our findings underscore the importance of dental care and diabetes management for older adults in reducing the devastating personal and societal costs of Alzheimer’s disease and other related dementias,” said Bei Wu, vice dean for research at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing and co-director of the NYU Aging Incubator, as well as the study’s lead author.

Diabetes is a known risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia. Several of the hallmarks of diabetes–high blood sugar, insulin resistance, inflammation, and related heart disease–are thought to contribute to changes in the brain.
A growing body of research has revealed a similar connection among poor oral health, particularly gum disease and tooth loss, and cognitive impairment and dementia. Like diabetes, inflammation plays a key role gum disease, and these inflammatory processes may contribute to cognitive decline. In addition, painful gums and missing teeth can make it difficult to chew, leading to changes in diet that can result in nutritional deficiency. Nutritional deficiency, which can also be worsened by impaired glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in diabetes, is another risk factor for cognitive impairment and dementia.

“Poor oral health, diabetes, and cognitive decline are all connected, and we’re beginning to understand how they may influence and exacerbate one another,” said Wu.

While both diabetes and missing teeth are risk factors for dementia, little research has focused on the effects of having both conditions in the course of cognitive decline. To address this gap, Wu and her colleagues turned to the University of Michigan’s Health and Retirement Study, analyzing 12 years of data (2006-2018) from the longitudinal study in order to observe cognitive changes over time.

The researchers included 9,948 older adults who were grouped by age (65 to 74, 75 to 84, and 85 and older) in their analysis. The Health and Retirement Study included measures of memory and cognitive function, assessed every two years, along with questions about tooth loss, diabetes, and other health and demographic factors. In this analysis, the researchers were particularly interested in older adults who had lost all of their teeth.

They found that older adults aged 65 to 84 with both diabetes and complete tooth loss had worse cognitive function than their counterparts without either condition. Over time, older adults aged 65 to 74 with diabetes alone experienced accelerated cognitive decline, and those aged 65 to 84 without any teeth also experienced accelerated cognitive decline, but older adults aged 65 to 74 with both diabetes and complete tooth loss had the fastest rate of cognitive decline.

The relationship among diabetes, tooth loss, and cognitive decline was inconclusive for adults 85 and older, which may be explained by this group having overall greater cognitive impairment, potentially being healthier (as unhealthy individuals may be less likely to survive into their late 80s), or perhaps having more experience managing their diabetes.
For older adults with both poor oral health and diabetes, the researchers stress the importance of regular dental visits, adherence to diabetes treatment and self-care to control blood sugar levels, and cognitive screenings in primary care settings.

“Access to dental care for older adults–especially those with diabetes–is critical, and health care providers should educate their patients about the connection between oral health and cognition,” said Wu.

Several distinct groupings of neurons connected inside and across critical parts of the brain assist learning, remembering, and retrieving memories. A recent study led by the universities of Bristol and Heidelberg discovered that if these neuronal assemblies fail to sync up at the correct time, memories are lost.

How do you keep track of what to do next? What happens in the brain when your mind goes blank? Short-term memory relies on two key brain regions: the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex. The researchers set out to establish how these brain regions interact with one another as memories are formed, maintained and recalled at the level of specific groups of neurons. The study, published in Currently Biology, also wanted to understand why memory sometimes fails. “Neural assemblies” — groups of neurons that join forces to process information — were first proposed over 70 years ago, but have proved difficult to pinpoint.

Using brain recordings in rats, the research team has shown that memory encoding, storage and recall are supported by dynamic interactions incorporating multiple neural assemblies formed within and between the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. When the coordination of these assemblies fails, the animals made mistakes.

Dr Michal Kucewicz, Assistant Professor of Neurology at the Gdansk University of Technology, formerly a PhD student at the University of Bristol, and lead author, said: “Our results make potential therapeutic interventions for memory restoration more challenging to target in space and time. On the other hand, our findings have identified critical processes that determine success or failure in remembering. These present viable targets for therapeutic interventions on the level of neural assembly interactions.”

Matt Jones, Professor of Neuroscience in the School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience and Bristol Neuroscience and senior author of the paper, added: “Our findings add to evidence that the neural substrates of memory are more distributed in anatomical space and dynamic across time than previously thought based on the neuropsychological models.”

The next steps for the research would be to modulate neural assembly interactions, either using drugs or via brain stimulation, which Dr Kucewicz is currently doing in human patients, to test whether disrupting or augmenting them would impair or enhance remembering. The research team presumes the same mechanisms would work in human patients to restore memory functions impaired in a particular brain disorder.

India reported 7,533 new Covid-19 cases and 11,047 recoveries in the last 24 hours with the active cases now standing at 53,852 on Friday, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Active cases stand at 0.12 per cent of the total cases reported in the country. Having 11,047 recoveries in the last 24 hours, India’s total recovery increased to 4,43,47,024 with the recovery stand at 98.68 per cent. Taking the daily positivity rate to 3.62 per cent.

Under the nationwide Vaccination Drive, India has so far administered 220.66 crore Covid vaccine doses (95.21 cr second dose and 22.87 cr precaution dose), of which 4,775 doses were administered in the last 24 hours.

A total of 92.63 crore tests conducted so far with 2,08,112 tests conducted in the last 24 hours, the ministry said.

Over 270 Covid-19 subvariants have emerged in China within a week, the NTD reported, adding that the country’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention made the announcement last week.

On Saturday last, China’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention announced that over 275 new Covid-19 subvariants were detected in the country within 7 days. The Epoch Times reported that the Chinese authorities have discovered these new sub-variants from April 14 to 20. The Chinese media reported that residents are posting their positive results online revealing that many are getting re-infected.

According to The Epoch Times, many residents are posting their positive virus test results online, pointing to a trend of reinfection. Now, concerns over possible mutations are front and centre.

In a social media post, an internet user shared that her husband and two children caught the virus once again. So far their symptoms are mild. In another post, the entire family was re-infected after 3 months they got tested positive once, as per The Epoch Times.

A prominent Chinese virologist gave his take on what is going on. He explained that if the virus were to mutate the reinfections will start happening about half a year later and usually on a limited scale.

“But if that mutation changed enough to break through the human immune system then the trend of reinfections could be enough to form a second wave,” he added, as per The Epoch Times.

Earlier on Tuesday, China said travellers entering the country are no longer required to show a negative PCR test for Covid. This came as another step toward reopening after a long period of pandemic-era isolation, The New York Times reported.

A spokeswoman for China’s foreign ministry said, beginning April 29, people going to China can take an antigen test to replace the previously mandated PCR test within 48 hours before boarding their flight.

The spokeswoman, Mao Ning, added that airlines would not check test results before boarding. She did not say whether others, such as immigration officials, would check.

Notices by Chinese embassies overseas said that travellers arriving in China would still need to fill out a health declaration form and that customs officials would conduct unspecified spot checks, according to The New York Times.
China-based SHINE recently reported that New XBB COVID sub-variants had been reported in China. In the past week, there were 12 new sub-variants detected in China.

China from December 1 to April 20 reported 32,993 effective genomic sequences of domestic cases. All were confirmed as Omicron variants covering 117 sub-variants, with BA.5.2 and BF.7 as dominants, according to the weekly report issued by the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.

The centre detected 603 cases of variants under strict inspection, including the 12 sub-variants being found for the first time, according to SHINE.

A new research from the American Heart Association, stated that women who were diagnosed with depression during pregnancy had a higher risk of being detected with cardiovascular disease within two years of giving birth compared to women who did not have depression.

According to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, It is well known that depression has a detrimental impact on cardiovascular health in the general population. Both men and women who experience depression are more likely to develop heart disease in later life, and previous studies have shown that about 20% of pregnant women also experience depression. Prenatal depression has received little attention as a particular risk factor for cardiovascular disease, though.”We need to use pregnancy as a window to future health,” said lead study author Christina M. Ackerman-Banks, M.D, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynaecology-maternal fetal medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston.

“Complications during pregnancy, including prenatal depression, impact long-term cardiovascular health. The postpartum period provides an opportunity to counsel and screen people for cardiovascular disease in order to prevent these outcomes.”

The association between prenatal depression and the detection of postpartum cardiovascular disease during the first two years following delivery is the focus of this investigation, which is the first population-based study to do so. Almost 100,000 women who gave birth in Maine between 2007 and 2019 were the subject of data analysis from the All-Payer Claims Database of the Maine Health Data Organization. The study aimed to calculate the overall risk of receiving a new cardiovascular disease diagnosis within two years following birth.

After adjusting for potential confounding factors such as smoking, age at the time of delivery and pre-pregnancy diabetes, pre-pregnancy depression, pre-pregnancy hypertension and preeclampsia, the researchers estimated the risk of developing six major cardiovascular conditions — heart failure, ischemic heart disease, arrhythmia/cardiac arrest, cardiomyopathy, stroke and high blood pressure — within two years of delivery. The analysis found that the estimated cumulative cardiovascular disease risk for heart failure, ischemic heart disease, cardiomyopathy, arrhythmia/cardiac arrest or newly diagnosed high blood pressure within two years of delivery was significantly higher for people with depression than those without depression.

Ackerman-Banks said, “Even after excluding those with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, those with depression during pregnancy still had a significantly higher risk of ischemic heart disease, arrhythmia, stroke, cardiomyopathy and new chronic hypertension postpartum.”

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of pregnancy-related death in high-income countries including the U.S., according to the American Heart Association’s 2023 Statistical Update. Additional pregnancy-related factors contributing to the development of the cardiovascular disease may include chronic inflammation and increased stress-related hormones, the study authors noted.

“I recommend that anyone diagnosed with prenatal depression be aware of the implications on their long-term cardiovascular health, take steps to screen for other risk factors and consult with their primary care doctor in order to implement prevention strategies for cardiovascular disease,” Ackerman-Banks said. “They should also be screened for Type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol, and implement an exercise regimen, healthy diet and quit smoking.”

The authors acknowledge that while the study population was large, the results were based on medical claims data, meaning that diagnoses of conditions could not be confirmed. Additionally, information on race, ethnicity and physical activity levels was not available. Future studies testing interventions integrated into prenatal and postpartum care may help overcome these limitations and inform current recommendations, according to the study authors.