Mea. Spaanderman et al., Cardiac output increases independently of basal metabolic rate in early human pregnancy, AM J P-HEAR, 278(5), 2000, pp. H1585-H1588
Citations number
25
Categorie Soggetti
Cardiovascular & Hematology Research
Journal title
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-HEART AND CIRCULATORY PHYSIOLOGY
Early pregnancy is characterized by the institution of a high-flow low-resi
stance circulation. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that these hemo
dynamic changes develop independently of changes in basal metabolic rate. I
n 12 healthy women, we determined and calculated once during the follicular
phase (day 5 +/- 2) and at 6, 8, 10, and 12 wk of pregnancy the following
variables: body weight and length, body mass index, fat-free mass (FFM), me
an arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), stroke volume, cardiac output
(CO), total peripheral vascular resistance (TPVR), resting energy expenditu
re (REE), FFM REE (REEFFM), and respiratory quotient (RQ). At 6 wk of gesta
tional age, HR and CO had increased, whereas MAP and TPVR had decreased. Th
ese changes persisted throughout the study period. Meanwhile, REE, REEFFM,
RQ, FFM, and body weight did not change consistently. The changes with preg
nancy in hemodynamics did not correlate with those in basal metabolic rate.
In early pregnancy, the institution of a high-flow low-resistance circulat
ion develops without a concomitant rise in basal metabolic rate. These find
ings support the concept that the hemodynamic changes in early pregnancy de
velop independently of concomitant changes in basal metabolic rate.