Limitations of Current Biomarkers in Assessing Post-Pregnancy Heart Failure Risk

Recent research indicates that the biomarkers traditionally used to predict heart failure risk may not be effective for women following complicated pregnancies, such as those affected by hypertension or diabetes. A study published in JAMA Cardiology analyzed over 4,000 pregnancies across various medical centers, focusing on NT-proBNP, a common biomarker for heart failure. While approximately 1 in 17 women exhibited elevated levels of NT-proBNP years after childbirth — suggesting cardiac stress — pregnancies with conditions like preeclampsia, hypertension, or gestational diabetes did not show a corresponding increase in this biomarker. Contrary to expectations, women with these pregnancy complications tended to have lower levels of NT-proBNP, which challenges its reliability in postpartum cardiovascular screening.