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Heart disease No. 1 cause of pregnancy-related deaths in California


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American Heart Association Meeting Report: Abstract 18851 (Hall F, Core 2, Poster Board: 2134)

Study Highlights:

  • Heart disease is the leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths in California and is likely true for the rest of the nation.
  • Specifically, an enlarged and weakened heart accounted for two-thirds of pregnancy-related deaths noted in the study.
  • Paying attention to heart disease risk factors during pregnancy could prevent nearly a third of pregnancy-related heart deaths.


Embargoed until 8 a.m. CT/9 a.m. ET Sunday, Nov. 17, 2013
This release is featured in an 8 a.m. news conference on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2013.
This release contains updated data from the abstract.

DALLAS, Nov. 17, 2013 — Heart disease is the leading cause of women’s pregnancy-related deaths in California — but nearly one-third could be prevented, according to research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2013.

Maternal death rates have been increasing in California and the United States since the mid-1990s, according to statistics from the California Department of Public Health.

“Women who give birth are usually young and in good health,” said Afshan B. Hameed, M.D., the study’s lead researcher and associate professor of clinical cardiology, obstetrics and gynecology at the University of California, Irvine. “So heart disease shouldn’t be the leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths, but it is.”

She said the results likely apply to the rest of the United States.

There were 2.1 million live births in California from 2002-2005. Researchers analyzed medical records of 732 women who died from all causes while pregnant or within one year of pregnancy and found that:
  • 209 deaths were pregnancy-related.
  • 52 (about one quarter) of the pregnancy-related deaths were from some form of cardiovascular disease. Of note, only 6 percent had been diagnosed with a heart condition prior to the pregnancy.
  • 33 (or two-thirds) of the cardiovascular-related deaths were from cardiomyopathy — a serious disease in which the heart muscle is weakened and can lead to heart failure, irregular heartbeats, heart valve problems and death.


Compared to women who died of non-heart-related causes, researchers found that:
  • Women who were most likely to die from pregnancy-related heart disease were African-American, obese or had documented substance abuse during pregnancy.
  • Nearly one-fourth of the women who died of cardiac causes had been diagnosed with high blood pressure during their pregnancies.


In about two-thirds of the deaths, the diagnosis was either incorrect or delayed, or providers had given ineffective or inappropriate treatments, researchers said.   One third of the patients who died had delayed or failed to seek care, 10 percent refused medical advice and 27 percent did not recognize their symptoms as cardiovascular.

“Women should attain and maintain proper weight before and during pregnancy, and talk to their doctors if they have personal or family histories of heart disease,” Hameed said. “And healthcare providers should be referring pregnant women who complain of symptoms consistent with cardiac disease to specialists, especially when these risk factors are present. Women with evidence of substance abuse should receive early referral for treatment.”

But, Hameed noted, it is impossible to know if earlier diagnosis and intervention would have prevented death in these cases “as missed cues to the presence of heart disease were common.”

Co-authors are Elyse Foster, M.D.; Christy McCain, M.P.H.; Christine Morton, Ph.D.; and Elliott Main, M.D. Author disclosures are on the abstract.

The California Department of Public Health, Maternal Child and Adolescent Health funded the study.

Note: Actual presentation is 9:30 a.m. CT/10:30 a.m. ET Sunday, Nov. 17, 2013.

Learn more information about heart disease prevention guidelines for women.

Downloadable video/audio interviews, B-roll, animation and images related to this news release are on the right column of the release link at

http://newsroom.heart.org/news/heart-disease-no-1-cause-of-pregnancy-related-deaths-in-california?preview=0207cebd0df2e8cd96ff46e67c29eb8f

Video clips with researchers/authors of the studies will be added to the release link after embargo.

For more news from AHA Scientific Sessions 2013 follow us on Twitter @HeartNews#AHA13.

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Statements and conclusions of study authors that are presented at American Heart Association scientific meetings are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect association policy or position. The association makes no representation or warranty as to their accuracy or reliability. The association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific association programs and events. The association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and device corporations are available at www.heart.org/corporatefunding.

For Media Inquiries:
AHA News Media in Dallas: (214) 706-1173
AHA News Media Office, Nov. 16-20,
 at the Dallas Convention Center: (214) 853-8008
For Public Inquiries: (800) AHA-USA1 (242-8721)
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