American Heart Association says Moms’ Pre-Pregnancy Weight impacts risk of dying decades later
November 20, 2014
Chicago, IL – Adults whose mothers were overweight or obese before pregnancy have a dramatically elevated risk of dying from heart disease or stroke, according to a new study presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2014.
“Excess weight among young women of childbearing age has important implications not only for their own health, but for that of their children as well,” said Michael Mendelson, M.D., S.M., the study’s lead author and a research fellow at the Framingham Heart Study, Boston University and the Boston Children’s Hospital.
Previous studies had shown that people whose mothers were overweight before pregnancy were at higher risk for obesity, diabetes and elevated cholesterol. This study examined whether that translated into higher rates of cardiovascular disease and death. [Read more]
