Right ventricular systolic dysfunction in young adults born preterm

Preeclampsia, prematurity and cardiovascular health in adult life

“…In lambs, the early transition of preterm birth leads to cardiac remodelling, with increases in myocardial collagen content, cell volume and cell ploidy, suggestive of accelerated maturation [3]. These findings are in line with the cardiac changes we have demonstrated in young adults born preterm [4,5].…”

“…It is possible that this increase had merely reflected the expected in utero cardiac growth rate for this point in development. However, our data indicate that the rapid increase in neonatal cardiac ventricular mass is a pathological event that persists into adulthood [4,5]. Using cardiovascular magnetic resonance and computational atlases, we demonstrated that preterm birth is associated with an increase in cardiac myocardial mass, inversely related to gestational age and independent of blood pressure variation and other perinatal factors.…”

“…Despite these advantages, it is recognised that changes in pulmonary physiology induced by mechanical ventilation may have negative influences on normal cardiac function and lead to distinct changes in cardiac remodelling [50]. We explored this possibility in young adults born preterm, and were able to demonstrate that postnatal mechanical ventilation was an independent predictor of increased right ventricular mass in preterm-born young adults [5].…”

“…Recent studies have consistently demonstrated negative alterations in classical cardiovascular risk factors related to preterm birth, as well as long-term impacts on cardiovascular structure and function related to being born preterm [4,5]. This review will focus on the latter, considering three major areas of investigation: firstly, we will define the longterm cardiovascular structural and functional changes in preterm-born individuals; secondly, we will present factors related to preterm birth that may be modifying cardiovascular phenotype, in particular preeclampsia, as well as perinatal interventions, and physiological disturbances; and thirdly, we will discuss the expected clinical relevance of these cardiovascular changes.…”

Incidence of atrial fibrillation in relation to birth weight and preterm birth

“…No study has evaluated whether preterm birth is associated with the risk of AF. Preterm birth has been found to be associated with global myocardial structural and functional differences in adult life, including smaller ventricular size and increased mass as well as reductions in systolic and diastolic function [9,10].…”