Grant: Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the world. Sex differences exist in the burden of cardiovascular diseases, and sex-specific factors, including pregnancy, contribute to these differences. In Canada, most women have at least one risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. In addition, women who had a complicated pregnancy have a higher risk of having a heart attack or a stroke (the most common of the cardiovascular diseases) later in life. Consequently, cardiovascular diseases are the number one cause of premature death in women in Canada. Having excessive amounts of cholesterol, a waxy, fat-like substance, in your blood is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. During pregnancy, having excessive cholesterol amounts in your blood increases the risk of blood vessel problems, leading to the development of pregnancy complications and cardiovascular diseases later in life. To prevent this, it is essential to study the underlying mechanisms by which excessive amounts of cholesterol during pregnancy impact maternal cardiovascular health during, and after, pregnancy. In this project, I will use a rat model of high cholesterol during pregnancy and look at various indicators of blood vessel function during and after pregnancy. I aim to assess why there are changes in blood vessel function in pregnancies complicated by excessive amounts of cholesterol. Moreover, I aim to figure out the long-term effects of having had a complicated pregnancy on maternal blood vessel function, and will test a new intervention strategy. These studies will increase our understanding of the mechanisms of cardiovascular diseases in mothers who have had complicated pregnancies. In addition, our findings may contribute to the development of a potential targeted therapeutic to improve cardiovascular health in women throughout their life.