Medical Imaging to investigate gestational hypertension and impact on cardiovascular disease using retina and ultrasound imaging

Hypertensive disorders complicate 6-12% of pregnancies, leading to serve clinical outcomes such as pre-eclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction. Gestational hypertension can adversely impact the mother’s cardiovascular health later in life. Gestational hypertension is increasing in line with elevated cases of obesity and diabetes in the population.

This is becoming more critically relevant in maternity especially as the obese and diabetic population is increasing in the younger age groups during their reproductive period. We need methods to improve our predictions of pregnancies at risk of hypertensive pregnancy to allow stratification of women at most risk, for future follow up. Endothelial dysfunction is a major hallmark of gestational hypertension and understanding the extent of microvascular dysfunction during and after pregnancy will help identify new therapy. Ultrasound imaging of the vasculature in different vascular beds will help us understand disease. In combination retinal imaging and subsequent AI analysis will identify potential biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction.

Aims

The overall objective of this study is to use radiography imaging technology to compare endothelial function in women during and after pregnancy to compare women with gestational hypertension and non-hypertensive gestational matched controls to understand cardiovascular disease progression.

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