Heart disease arising during or secondary to pregnancy.

When cardiovascular disease in women is considered, the cardiovascular physiology and diseases related to pregnancy are clearly unique, particularly to young women. Toxemia and its associated hypertension are the major cardiovascular disorders arising during and secondary to pregnancy and may well increase in prevalence as women undertake childbearing at older ages. Although its pathophysiology is unknown and its outcome may be grave to both mother and child, toxemia is preventable, treatable, and curable. This is unlike the three other forms of heart disease occurring in pregnancy discussed here. Aortic dissection, pulmonary hypertension, and peripartum cardiomyopathy are not preventable and are unpredictable, difficult to treat, and incurable. These latter disorders carry on indefinitely for the duration of the patient's life and seriously limit future options, including those for more pregnancies. Among the disorders of the heart in pregnancy, toxemia and peripartum cardiomyopathy are the subjects of especially active investigation at present. Major advances in understanding these disorders could minimize cardiovascular risk to the pregnant woman.