PhD Defence Yentl Brandt

Keywords: Preeclampsia, heart failure, cardiac MRI, echocardiography 
 

"Quantitative cardiac imaging in women with a history of preeclampsia"

Preeclampsia is a condition that can occur during pregnancy, and which increases the odds of developing heart failure later in life. This thesis investigated whether early changes in the structure and function of the heart, which are associated with heart failure, can already be found in women who had a history of preeclampsia at an early age (<40 years) and shortly after the pregnancy (<10 years). No changes in blood flow to the heart muscle were found, nor any changes in the development of diffuse scar tissue. Women with a history of preeclampsia were found to have subtle reduction in the relaxation of the heart muscle after contraction, while contraction was not diminished. In conclusion, women with a history of preeclampsia already show subtle diminishment in the relaxation of the heart muscle at a young age, and shortly after the preeclamptic pregnancy. 

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