Pregnancy as a Window to Future Health: Health Disparities and Social Determinants of Health in Cardiometabolic Risk Across the United States.

Abstract

Cardiometabolic risk factors are increasingly prevalent among reproductive-aged women in the United States and contribute substantially to maternal morbidity and mortality. Structural inequities influence access to resources, environmental exposures, and chronic stress, contributing to disparities in chronic conditions and adverse pregnancy outcomes that disproportionately affect minoritized and publicly insured populations. Elevated maternal cardiometabolic risk is associated with pregnancy complications and long-term development of cardiovascular disease. This review examines disparities in maternal cardiometabolic risk and explores how the social determinants of health influence baseline risk, shape postpartum recovery, and alter lifetime cardiovascular disease trajectory. Reducing maternal cardiometabolic disparities requires comprehensive, equity-focused, multilevel strategies across clinical practice and policy.