ABSTRACT
Pregnancy is a physiological challenge of the human organism because it requires significant adaptation in order to enable the normal growth of the fetus. Metabolic, cardiovascular, and renal alterations are profound. Maladaptation may jeopardize both the mother and the fetus. Lately, there has been growing evidence that maladaptation not only has hazardous effects during the pregnancy period but is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity later during nonpregnant life.
