Left ventricular mechanics in the late second trimester of healthy pregnancy

CONCLUSIONCompared to the non ‐pregnant state, pregnant women in the second trimester of healthy pregnancy have significantly greater resting systolic function, as assessed by LV longitudinal and circumferential strain. Contrary to previous work, these data show that healthy pregnant women should not exhibit reductions in rest ing systolic function between 22‐26 weeks. The enhanced myocardial contractile function does not appear to be related to hemodynamic load and could be the result of other physiological adaptations during gestation.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Source: Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Original Paper Source Type: research