Noor Tuelings

Title: How does maternal obesity during pregnancy influence long-term cardiovascular outcomes in mother and child?

Abstract: Obesity is a concern worldwide, with>50% of women of reproductive age being overweight or obese. It is well-established that exposure to adverse conditions in utero , such as obesity, can have long-lasting consequences for offspring cardio-metabolic health.

Maternal obesity is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease in exposed offspring, which can be mediated through ‘programming’ mechanisms. The aim of this study is to advance understanding of maternal cardiovascular adaptation to pregnancy in obese and non-obese subjects and to link this to offspring health.

Furthermore, we will investigate maternal exercise as a possible intervention. To address these aims we will utilise (i) a systematic review and meta-analysis to describe the epidemiology of maternal obesity and offspring cardiovascular health (ii) a mouse model of maternal diet-induced obesity to investigate underlying mechanisms , and (iii) analyses of fetal growth, placentation, maternal cardiovascular adaptation to pregnancy in a human cohort of primigravid mothers.