Study finds that pregnancy complications may indicate genetic risk for heart disease

Coronary artery disease, a collective term for angina and heart attacks, is one of the leading causes of death among women. 

Researchers behind a new study published in Circulation found a genetic link between adverse birth outcomes and the risk of heart disease.

“The connection between pregnancy complications and heart disease is already established. What we don't know for certain is whether pregnancy complications are a direct cause of cardiovascular diseases or if they solely reveal an underlying vulnerability,” says Tormod Rogne, one of the authors of the study. 

Men as a control group

The research team used men as a control group in the study. 

Their hypothesis was that if the link between pregnancy complications and heart disease is due to a shared genetic vulnerability, the same connection would be seen in both women and men. Even though men do not experience pregnancy complications, they could still carry the same genetic risk.

“We found the same links between genetic vulnerability for pregnancy complications and the risk of coronary artery disease in both women and men," says Rogne. 

He explains that this finding suggests that pregnancy complications do not trigger a risk for future heart disease. Instead, they serve as an important warning sign of a potential genetic risk for cardiovascular diseases.

Useful knowledge

The relationship between pregnancy complications and heart disease has long been a mystery, according to Rogne. He now hopes that the findings of this study will lead to more research on the topic so that causation can be established.

Rogne notes that epidemiologists are typically cautious about drawing definitive conclusions. 

"Our findings suggest that there is no causal relationship between birth complications and heart disease. However, we will need more studies with different designs to fully unlock this mystery," he says. 

Rogne notes that pregnancy complications still hold predictive value. 

“However, if it can be established that the complication itself does not trigger a vulnerability to heart disease, it could be reassuring for the woman," he says.

This would mean that the  complication has not caused harm but instead revealed a vulnerability to heart disease that can now be addressed and potentially prevented, according to Rogne.

Reference:

Rogne, T. & Gill, D. 'Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes and Coronary Artery Disease Risk: A Negative Control Mendelian Randomization Study', Circulation, vol. 151, 2025. (Abstract) DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.124.070509

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