Long-Term Heart and Blood Vessel Study in Adults Born to Mothers with High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to understand why young adults born from pregnancies complicated by high blood pressure may have a higher risk of developing hypertension and heart and blood vessel diseases later in life. The study focuses on individuals in their 20s and 30s who were born to mothers with hypertensive pregnancies, seeking to identify early changes in their heart, blood vessels, and brain that could signal future disease progression. Participants attend a single four-hour visit at the University of Oxford, where detailed imaging tests including MRI scans will examine their brain, heart, liver, kidneys, and blood vessels. The study integrates these new findings with extensive existing data from previous follow-ups of the same individuals within the ALSPAC cohort to provide a comprehensive picture of cardiovascular health. During the visit, researchers will perform various assessments such as measuring heart function and structure, blood vessel properties, metabolic markers, physical activity, and brain volumes. They will also collect blood samples and use questionnaires to gather information on lifestyle factors like smoking and alcohol use. The main outcome measured is the right ventricular mass of the heart in participants aged 30 to 40. The study results will help understand disease development and inform future prevention strategies. Participation involves one study visit with no ongoing treatment or follow-up required.

Cardiovascular Longitudinal ALSPAC Research Investigations Following Hypertensive Pregnancy in Young Adulthood