• About
  • Masthead
  • License Content
  • Advertise
  • Submit Press Release
  • RSS/Email List
  • 2MM Podcast
  • Write for us
  • Contact Us
2 Minute Medicine
No Result
View All Result

No products in the cart.

SUBSCRIBE
  • Specialties
    • All Specialties, All Recent Reports
    • Cardiology
    • Chronic Disease
    • Dermatology
    • Emergency
    • Endocrinology
    • Gastroenterology
    • Imaging and Intervention
    • Infectious Disease
    • Nephrology
    • Neurology
    • Obstetrics
    • Oncology
    • Ophthalmology
    • Pediatrics
    • Pharma
    • Preclinical
    • Psychiatry
    • Public Health
    • Pulmonology
    • Rheumatology
    • Surgery
  • AI Roundup
  • Pharma
  • The Scan+
  • Classics™+
    • 2MM+ Online Access
    • Paperback and Ebook
  • Rewinds
  • Visual
  • Podcasts
  • Partners
    • License Content
    • Submit Press Release
    • Advertise with Us
  • Account
    • Subscribe
    • Sign-in
    • My account
2 Minute Medicine
  • Specialties
    • All Specialties, All Recent Reports
    • Cardiology
    • Chronic Disease
    • Dermatology
    • Emergency
    • Endocrinology
    • Gastroenterology
    • Imaging and Intervention
    • Infectious Disease
    • Nephrology
    • Neurology
    • Obstetrics
    • Oncology
    • Ophthalmology
    • Pediatrics
    • Pharma
    • Preclinical
    • Psychiatry
    • Public Health
    • Pulmonology
    • Rheumatology
    • Surgery
  • AI Roundup
  • Pharma
  • The Scan+
  • Classics™+
    • 2MM+ Online Access
    • Paperback and Ebook
  • Rewinds
  • Visual
  • Podcasts
  • Partners
    • License Content
    • Submit Press Release
    • Advertise with Us
  • Account
    • Subscribe
    • Sign-in
    • My account
SUBSCRIBE
2 Minute Medicine
Subscribe
Home All Specialties Chronic Disease

Maternal genetic risk of hypertension associated with reduced placental weight

byIshita AggarwalandAlex Chan
November 15, 2021
in Chronic Disease, Obstetrics, Pediatrics
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

1. Maternal genetic risk of hypertension is associated with reduced placental weight, inhibiting fetal growth and contributing to future cardio-metabolic abnormalities

Evidence Rating Level: 2 (Good)

Study Rundown: Low birth weight (LBW) and/or fetal growth restriction (FGR) are associated with various cardio-metabolic diseases, including hypertension, later in life. A recent Mendelian Randomization (MR) study found that the susceptibility of LBW infants to develop hypertension in adulthood is due to the inheritance of hypertension genes from the mother. As many hypertension genes are likely involved in vasculature development and function, this prospective cohort study hypothesized that BP-increasing genetic variants may reduce the growth of the placenta, a highly vascular organ, resulting in lower birth weight and increased incidence of future cardio-metabolic abnormalities. Using a Japanese birth cohort, the authors performed polygenic score (PGS) analyses for systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and pulse pressure (PP). The mediation effect of placental weight on birth weight reduced by maternal BP-increasing PGS was assessed and the involvement of vascular genes in the aforementioned mediation effect was examined. The gestational week in which maternal SBP-increasing PGS significantly decreased fetal growth velocity was identified. It was found that maternal genetic risk of hypertension is associated with reduced placental weight, inhibiting fetal growth and contributing to the development of future hypertension in LBW offspring. The authors suggested that maternal SBP-PGS in particular may be a useful screening tool in late-onset FGR high-risk groups, regardless of the presence or absence of maternal hypertension. Overall, this provides evidence that maternal hypertension genes are strongly associated with placental growth and further research in this area may improve our understanding of the prenatal origin of certain diseases.

Click here to read the study in BMC Medicine

Relevant Reading: Fetal growth versus birthweight: The role of placenta versus other determinants

In-Depth [Retrospective cohort study]: This study analyzed two cohorts. A total of 993 participants were recruited from a retrospective cohort of women who gave birth at TMDU Hospital from 2013 to 2017. Additionally, clinical information and genotype data of 93 mother-child pairs of Japanese ancestry were obtained from the Birth Cohort Gene and ENvironment Interaction Study of Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) (BC-GENIST) project. The relationship between observational BP and birth weight was analyzed using the TMDU pregnant women cohort. BP was measured at periodic prenatal check-ups and was used to calculate MAP and PP. The mean value of SBP, DBP, MAP, and PP at each of three gestational periods (i.e., [1] early, gestational age < 20 weeks, [2] middle, 20 ≤ gestational age < 34 weeks, and [3] late, 34 weeks ≤ gestational age) was determined and used for analysis. Birth weight and placental weight were adjusted for gestational age, fetal sex, and parity and estimated fetal growth velocity was calculated. The BC-GENIST cohort was used to compare the genetic effect size across all phenotypes. The DNA was extracted from maternal peripheral blood and cord blood and genotyped. A classic clumping and thresholding method was used to derive individual polygenic scores. Subsequently, two distinct genetic risk scores were constructed, one from only “vasculature-related” single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the other from “unlikely related” SNPs. There were no differences between the TMDU pregnant women and BC-GENIST cohorts. It was found that high maternal PGS for each BP phenotype (SBP, DBP, MAP, and PP) was negatively associated with birth weight. Among all four phenotypes, SBP-PGS (111 SNPs, GWAS p value threshold = 1.00 × 10−5) demonstrated the highest significance (estimated regression coefficient [Est.; 95% CI] = − 0.340 [− 0.509, − 0.171], p = 1.29 × 10−4). Additionally, a large proportion of the total maternal PGS effect on birth weight was mediated by placental weight [Est.; 0.661 [95% CI 0.50, 0.82] (p value =1.7 × 10−12). Approximately 86% of the effect of maternal SBP-increasing PGS on birth weight was mediated by placental weight. Furthermore, “vasculature-related” PGS was more strongly associated with birth weight than the “unlikely related” PGS (Est. (change in birth weight z score per 1 SD increase of PGS) = − 0.26 [− 0.44, − 0.09]; p = 3.6 × 10−3). Causal mediation analysis estimated 96% of the “vasculature-related” PGS effect was mediated by the placental weight. The inverse correlation between maternal SBP-PGS and fetal growth velocity appeared in late gestation, specifically towards 36 weeks.

RELATED REPORTS

Evaluating scar outcomes in pediatric burn patients following skin grafting 

Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole during pregnancy does not reduce risk of prematurity

Hypotension- and hypertension-avoidance strategies may yield similar neurocognitive outcomes following noncardiac surgery

Image: PD

©2021 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. All rights reserved. No works may be reproduced without expressed written consent from 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. Inquire about licensing here. No article should be construed as medical advice and is not intended as such by the authors or by 2 Minute Medicine, Inc.

Tags: hypertensionobstetricspediatrics
Previous Post

Cognitive-behavioural therapy alternating between face-to-face and online module sessions effective for treating anxiety disorders

Next Post

Deep brain stimulation may improve clinical outcomes in individuals with treatment resistant depression  

RelatedReports

Pediatrics

Evaluating scar outcomes in pediatric burn patients following skin grafting 

June 26, 2025
Implementation of pneumococcal vaccine programs linked to decreased antibiotic prescription
Infectious Disease

Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole during pregnancy does not reduce risk of prematurity

June 9, 2025
Prevalence of hypertension among adolescents varies by race and BMI
Chronic Disease

Hypotension- and hypertension-avoidance strategies may yield similar neurocognitive outcomes following noncardiac surgery

June 14, 2025
Weekly Rewinds

2 Minute Medicine Rewind May 19th, 2025

May 19, 2025
Next Post
Combined MRI and NIH stroke scores may predict stroke prognosis

Deep brain stimulation may improve clinical outcomes in individuals with treatment resistant depression  

Patient Basics: Lung Cancer Overview

Adjuvant gefitinib compared to chemotherapy after lung cancer resection did not improve survival

Compliance-linked incentives increase infant immunizations rates in rural India

Adequate antibody response to mRNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccine occurs in patients with cancer

2 Minute Medicine® is an award winning, physician-run, expert medical media company. Our content is curated, written and edited by practicing health professionals who have clinical and scientific expertise in their field of reporting. Our editorial management team is comprised of highly-trained MD physicians. Join numerous brands, companies, and hospitals who trust our licensed content.

Recent Reports

  • Intravaginal conjugated oestrogen does not improve continuation rate of ring pessary use
  • Artificial intelligence based clinical decision systems are safe and effective for diabetes management
  • Epic Launchpad propels generative-AI into everyday hospital routines
License Content
Terms of Use | Disclaimer
Cookie Policy
Privacy Statement (EU)
Disclaimer

© 2021 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. - Physician-written medical news.

  • Specialties
    • All Specialties, All Recent Reports
    • Cardiology
    • Chronic Disease
    • Dermatology
    • Emergency
    • Endocrinology
    • Gastroenterology
    • Imaging and Intervention
    • Infectious Disease
    • Nephrology
    • Neurology
    • Obstetrics
    • Oncology
    • Ophthalmology
    • Pediatrics
    • Pharma
    • Preclinical
    • Psychiatry
    • Public Health
    • Pulmonology
    • Rheumatology
    • Surgery
  • AI Roundup
  • Pharma
  • The Scan
  • Classics™
    • 2MM+ Online Access
    • Paperback and Ebook
  • Rewinds
  • Visual
  • Podcasts
  • Partners
    • License Content
    • Submit Press Release
    • Advertise with Us
  • Account
    • Subscribe
    • Sign-in
    • My account
No Result
View All Result

© 2021 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. - Physician-written medical news.