Heart failure in pregnancy.

With increasing maternal age and the presence of comorbid conditions such as hypertension, cardiovascular assessment and monitoring is the responsibility of all clinicians caring for pregnant patients. Furthermore, there are specific conditions, such as mitral stenosis, peripartum cardiomyopathy, and preeclampsia, that can be associated with heart failure and secondary maternal (and fetal) mortality and morbidity. The important causes of heart failure in pregnancy are discussed.