Researchers have confirmed that mechanical heart valves increase the likelihood of risks during and after pregnancy.

Professor Jolien W. Roos-Hesselink, co-chair with Professor Roger Hall of the registry’s executive committee, presented data from the Registry Of Pregnancy And Cardiac disease (ROPAC) registry at an ESC Congress Hot Line session. In the registry, it was discovered that 1.4 percent of pregnant women with a mechanical heart valve died, and 20 percent suffered a miscarriage.

The ROPAC is a global registry that follows pregnant women with a variety of structural heart diseases. Since January 2008, more than 3,500 pregnant women with structural heart disease have been enrolled in the ROPAC registry.

Cardiac disease continues to be the number one killer of women, causing one in three deaths every year. It’s a problem in both developing and developed countries.

During pregnancy, certain haemodynamic changes occur, including an increase of cardiac output, stroke volume and heart rate. A normal, healthy heart is able to adjust to such changes; However, a structural abnormal heart is typically less able to deal with such physiological changes, subsequently leading to an increase of maternal and fetal morbidity.

“Pregnancy can be a hazardous situation for women with a mechanical valve prosthesis. Women who need a valve replacement should be told about the pregnancy associated risks, particularly when it is time to choose the type of valve,” said Roos-Hesselink in a statement.