Cardiovascular (Among Other) Effects of Prenatal Exposure to Influenza

Acute prenatal exposure to the 1918 H1N1 influenza pandemic was associated with excess cardiovascular disease.

To examine the long-term effects of prenatal exposure to pandemic influenza, researchers analyzed 1982–1996 National Health Interview Survey data on more than 100,000 men and women who were born before, during, and after the 1918–1919 H1N1 influenza pandemic (1915–1923).

The prevalence of heart disease after age 60 among men who were born during the first few months of 1919 (correlating with second- or third-trimester exposure during the height of the epidemic) was 23% higher than that of men who were not exposed in utero. Although the prevalence of heart disease among women who were born early in 1919 was not significantly higher than among their peers, the prevalence among women who were born during the second quarter of 1919 (correlating …

Reviewing Author

JoAnne M. Foody, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory boardAegerion; Amarin; Bristol-Myers Squibb; Janssen; Merck; Pfizer; Sanofi-Aventis; Boehringer Ingelheim

Leadership positions in professional societiesAmerican College of Cardiology, Cardiosmart (Co-chair)

JoAnne M. Foody, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory boardAegerion; Amarin; Bristol-Myers Squibb; Janssen; Merck; Pfizer; Sanofi-Aventis; Boehringer Ingelheim

Leadership positions in professional societiesAmerican College of Cardiology, Cardiosmart (Co-chair)

Cardiovascular (Among Other) Effects of Prenatal Exposure to Influenza

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Reviewing Author