Comprehensive Assessment of Biventricular and Biatrial Myocardial Strain Parameters at Six Years Postpartum in a Cohort of Women with Previous Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy

Background: Over the past decade, few echocardiographic investigations have assessed myocardial strain parameters in women with a history of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), and their findings have been inconsistent. Moreover, no study has comprehensively evaluated deformation indices of all biventricular and biatrial chambers in women post-HDP. This study aimed to examine the structural and functional myocardial properties of all cardiac chambers in a cohort of women with prior HDP at six years after delivery. Methods: We analyzed a consecutive cohort of women with previous HDP and compared them with a control group of normotensive healthy women matched for age and body mass index (BMI). Both groups underwent standard transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) supplemented by a detailed speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) evaluation of biventricular and biatrial myocardial deformation, along with carotid ultrasound, at six years postpartum. The primary endpoint was subclinical myocardial dysfunction, defined by impaired left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LV-GLS < 20%), while the secondary endpoint was early carotid atherosclerosis, defined by common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT) >= 0.7 mm. Results: The study included 31 women with previous HDP (mean age 42.3 +/- 5.9 years) and 30 matched controls without HDP history (mean age 40.8 +/- 5.0 years). The average follow-up duration was 6.1 +/- 1.3 years postpartum. Despite preserved and comparable systolic function on conventional TTE, most myocardial strain and strain rate measures in both ventricles and atria were significantly reduced in the HDP group compared to controls. Subclinical myocardial dysfunction was detected in 58.1% of women with prior HDP, and 67.7% exhibited increased CCA-IMT (>= 0.7 mm). A history of pre-eclampsia (PE) was independently associated with subclinical myocardial dysfunction (HR 4.01, 95% CI 1.05-15.3, p = 0.03). Both third-trimester BMI (HR 1.21, 95% CI 1.07-1.38, p = 0.003) and PE (HR 6.38, 95% CI 1.50-27.2, p = 0.01) independently predicted early carotid atherosclerosis. Notably, a third-trimester BMI above 27 kg/m(2) showed optimal sensitivity and specificity for identifying the secondary outcome. Conclusions: A history of PE is independently associated with a higher risk of subclinical myocardial dysfunction and early carotid atherosclerosis at six years postpartum.