Significant maternal cardiovascular adaptations take place during pregnancy. One such alteration is a decrease in peripheral vascular resistance to accommodate an increase in cardiac output. In this pilot study, we aimed to evaluate changes in vascular reactivity during normal pregnancy by quantifying MRI surrogate markers of endothelial function. A novel quantitative MRI protocol was performed on 14 healthy pregnant women to evaluate peripheral micro- and macrovascular reactivity and central arterial stiffness. Preliminary results indicate attenuated peripheral vascular reactivity consistent with previous studies of brachial artery reactivity using ultrasound in pregnant women.
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