{"id":31896,"date":"2020-06-05T09:00:20","date_gmt":"2020-06-05T15:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=31896"},"modified":"2020-06-03T11:22:03","modified_gmt":"2020-06-03T17:22:03","slug":"mother-continues-to-battle-rare-heart-disease-caused-by-pregnancy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/mother-continues-to-battle-rare-heart-disease-caused-by-pregnancy\/","title":{"rendered":"Mother continues to battle rare heart disease caused by pregnancy"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div><figure id=\"attachment_32264\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-32264\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-32264\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/06\/02143133\/carly-family-photo-tiny.webp\" alt=\"father, mom and daughter pose in a field for a family photo.\" width=\"640\" height=\"452\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/06\/02143133\/carly-family-photo-tiny.webp 800w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/06\/02143133\/carly-family-photo-tiny-300x212.webp 300w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/06\/02143133\/carly-family-photo-tiny-768x542.webp 768w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/06\/02143133\/carly-family-photo-tiny-150x106.webp 150w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/06\/02143133\/carly-family-photo-tiny-200x141.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-32264\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Carly Nabors, her husband, Chris, and daughter, Lacie. Photo courtesy of Carly Nabors.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Like many first-time parents, Carly and Chris Nabors settled into their new routine of feedings, naps and cuddling over late hours and long days. They were tired but little Lacie was their darling. They adored her.<\/p>\n<p>A few weeks after healing from the delivery, Carly began to spend the warm days on walks with her newborn. It was summer, and she was eager to get out and moving again. A couple of months into her new routine, Carly noticed something strange happening: Instead of feeling better, she was feeling worse.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019d be short of breath when I\u2019d walk, and I couldn\u2019t make it as far as I had in the weeks after Lacie was born,\u201d Carly said.<\/p>\n<p>Then she started coughing so much that she had to prop herself up in bed to be able to sleep at night.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was getting weird, and I was having more and more symptoms,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Though she had no idea at the time, Carly was suffering from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.heart.org\/en\/health-topics\/cardiomyopathy\/what-is-cardiomyopathy-in-adults\/peripartum-cardiomyopathy-ppcm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">peripartum cardiomyopathy,<\/a> a rare form of heart failure that happens during the last months of pregnancy or up to five months postpartum.<\/p>\n<div class=\"su-callout-box col-xs-12 col-sm-4 right\" style=\"background-color:#dce4e7; color:#2e3b44;\"><strong>Common heart failure symptoms <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If you are experiencing two or more of these symptoms, you need to see a UCHealth provider for an evaluation of your heart:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Shortness of breath (dyspnea)<\/li>\n<li>Persistent coughing or wheezing Buildup of excess fluid in body tissues (edema)<\/li>\n<li>Fatigue<\/li>\n<li>Lack of appetite; nausea<\/li>\n<li>Confusion<\/li>\n<li>Increased heart rate<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Heart failure can involve the heart\u2019s left side, right side or both sides. Your body\u2019s compensation mechanisms help explain why you may not become aware of your condition until years after your heart begins its decline. This is why it\u2019s a good idea to have regular checkups with your doctor.<\/div>\n<p>Heart failure symptoms are often not recognized as being from the heart. People mistakenly assume the symptoms are just signs of aging, or as for Carly, who was only 28, a normal side effect of parenthood.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was run-down,\u201d she said. \u201cBut I just thought it was because I had a newborn \u2014 the not sleeping, all the running around and just life being a mess.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve now spent the past seven years listening to my body, but I should have listened to it sooner, right when the symptoms started.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><strong>What is cardiomyopathy?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle. And though there are many causes, such as alcohol abuse, high blood pressure and viral infections, peripartum (or postpartum) cardiomyopathy only occurs during or after pregnancy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe don\u2019t know what causes peripartum cardiomyopathy, and there is no cure for it,\u201d said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/provider\/anthony-h-doing-md-cardiology\/\">Dr. Anthony Doing<\/a>, UCHealth cardiologist in northern Colorado<strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Peripartum cardiomyopathy occurs in 1.4% of all pregnancies.<\/p>\n<p>In most cases, the heart muscle becomes enlarged, thinned, thickened or ridged. As it worsens, the heart becomes weaker and less able to pump blood through the body, and excess fluid begins to accumulate in the lungs and legs, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.heart.org\/en\/health-topics\/cardiomyopathy\/what-is-cardiomyopathy-in-adults\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">American Heart Association.<\/a><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Symptoms of cardiomyopathy<\/strong><\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_32310\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-32310\" style=\"width: 224px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-32310\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/06\/03090219\/AnthonyDoing-tiny-e1591204878534.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"224\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/06\/03090219\/AnthonyDoing-tiny-e1591204878534.webp 279w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/06\/03090219\/AnthonyDoing-tiny-e1591204878534-224x300.webp 224w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/06\/03090219\/AnthonyDoing-tiny-e1591204878534-112x150.webp 112w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/06\/03090219\/AnthonyDoing-tiny-e1591204878534-200x267.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 224px) 100vw, 224px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-32310\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dr. Anthony Doing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>It was only after about a month of symptoms and diminishing breast milk supply that Carly decided it was time to seek medical advice. Many tests later, doctors still didn\u2019t have a definitive answer for her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAll the doctors had different ideas and things they wanted to try,\u201d Chris said, adding that some of those options \u2014 such as a thyroid medication Carly would have to take for the rest of her life \u2014 weren\u2019t things they wanted to consider until they had a true diagnosis.<\/p>\n<p>Doing said that because peripartum cardiomyopathy is so rare, it is often mistaken for illnesses such as bronchitis, or as in Carly\u2019s case, thyroid issues.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd 99.99% of the time, that\u2019s what it is,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>Also, women who experience symptoms &#8211; shortness of breath and swelling in the legs or abdomen \u2014 before delivery often associate them with normal pregnancy. And, most of the time, it is something other than peripartum cardiomyopathy, he said. When symptoms persist (the cough doesn\u2019t go away), then it may be a rare case that is cardiac in origin.<\/p>\n<p>For Carly, her symptoms didn\u2019t go away. She was feeling so unwell one day that she had her sister drive her from their Loveland home to the emergency room at UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies. There, her heart was finally tested.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>When the heart weakens due to heart disease<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>A healthy heart empties blood and then refills 60-80 times a minute.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA normal heart squeezes out 55-70% of the blood,\u201d Doing said.<\/p>\n<p>This percentage is called an ejection fraction.<\/p>\n<p>An angiogram at the ER showed that Carly\u2019s ejection fraction was less than 25%. She was immediately admitted to the hospital\u2019s cardiac unit.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_32263\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-32263\" style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-32263\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/06\/02141159\/carly-husband-tiny.webp\" alt=\"Carly and husband by a lake after she got heart failure caused by pregnancy.\" width=\"400\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/06\/02141159\/carly-husband-tiny.webp 800w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/06\/02141159\/carly-husband-tiny-225x300.webp 225w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/06\/02141159\/carly-husband-tiny-768x1024.webp 768w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/06\/02141159\/carly-husband-tiny-112x150.webp 112w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/06\/02141159\/carly-husband-tiny-200x267.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-32263\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Carly and Chris Nabors enjoying every moment together doing things they love, like camping. About eight years ago, Carly was diagnosed with a rare heart disease caused by pregnancy. Being so involved in her health care has allowed Carly to live a somewhat normal lifestyle that includes outdoor activities and exercise even though her heart failure has not gotten much better. Photo courtesy of Carly Nabors.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cI was at work when she called,\u201d Chris recalled. \u201cShe said, \u2018They think it\u2019s my heart.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Though it was a relief to finally have a diagnosis, the Nabors\u2019 life quickly changed once more. Carly spent the next week at Medical Center of the Rockies. Her sister watched Lacie so that Chris could stay by Carly\u2019s side.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was hard to wrap my head around it,\u201d Carly said. \u201cHere I was with a five-and-a-half-month-old and my body was shutting down.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Treatment for peripartum cardiomyopathy<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Doing ran a series of tests on Carly to make sure they hadn\u2019t missed any other issues. Plaque in the arteries is common among older patients with heart failure, but Carly was young. However, sometimes pregnancy or childbirth can affect the structural integrity of the smooth connective tissues of the arteries. He also checked for iron and thyroid problems, but he found none of these issues.<\/p>\n<p>The heart pumps out six liters of blood per minute. Carly\u2019s heart was pumping out less than half that, so it also wasn\u2019t able to clear the extra fluid from around the heart. That fluid can build up in the lungs and legs. What also happens when the heart is damaged is that a \u201ccascade of hormones\u201d is released by the body to help compensate. But long term, this has a damaging effect, Doing said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShort term, that\u2019s fine,\u201d he added. \u201cBut it is like driving a car 80 mph and forgetting to take it out of second gear. Long term, it can\u2019t take it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So, people with heart failure are placed on a series of medications that block those hormones. Carly is also on Lasix, a loop diuretic (water pill) that prevents her body from absorbing too much salt.<\/p>\n<p>Doing\u2019s work is delicate: He has to find the right balance of medication that will address her body\u2019s response to her failing heart without having detrimental side effects, such as lowering her blood pressure or affecting kidney functions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s complicated, and patients end up with many medicines for all different times of the day. They really have to pay attention, so it\u2019s a little tricky,\u201d Doing said. \u201cCarly has obstacles, and there are things we face every time we see her. But with determination and persistence, she\u2019s accomplished quite a bit.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Finding her strength to manage heart failure<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>\u201cWe had a lot of fears early on that we wouldn\u2019t have long,\u201d Chris said. \u201cBut we don\u2019t worry about how long she might have anymore, instead we just focus on enjoying every moment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A mother with peripartum cardiomyopathy has a 30-40% chance of recovering her heart function, Doing said. Or she may never recover or become worse. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5751909\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Not much is known<\/a> about why the outcomes vary. And because of the weakened heart, another pregnancy is very dangerous for mom and baby. Carly has been advised not to have more children.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMortality rate is 10% over two years, so (peripartum cardiomyopathy) is very dangerous,\u201d Doing said.<\/p>\n<p>Chris said that in the beginning, it was hard to see his wife \u2014 a vibrant woman he\u2019d met at a dude ranch and fallen in love with for her adventurous spirit \u2014 struggle so much.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEverything was so new, and she was struggling to do the things she was doing before,\u201d he said. \u201cAt one point, she couldn\u2019t even carry Lacie up the stairs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With a diagnosis came a plan \u2014 and Carly has embraced every step.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHaving low heart function after delivering a baby, especially when it\u2019s severely reduced, is a difficult and dangerous circumstance,\u201d Doing said. \u201cGetting on medications can be time-consuming and confusing. But it\u2019s because Carly is so involved in her own care that she\u2019s been taking care of her child now for almost eight years.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_32262\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-32262\" style=\"width: 450px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-32262\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/06\/02141156\/carly-daughter-motorcycles-tiny.webp\" alt=\"Carly and her daughter in motocycle gear. Carly got heart failure after her pregnancy with her daughter.\" width=\"450\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/06\/02141156\/carly-daughter-motorcycles-tiny.webp 800w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/06\/02141156\/carly-daughter-motorcycles-tiny-225x300.webp 225w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/06\/02141156\/carly-daughter-motorcycles-tiny-768x1024.webp 768w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/06\/02141156\/carly-daughter-motorcycles-tiny-112x150.webp 112w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/06\/02141156\/carly-daughter-motorcycles-tiny-200x267.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-32262\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Carly Nabors and her daughter, Lacie. Carly was diagnosed with a rare heart disease caused by pregnancy called peripartum cardiomyopathy. Although her heart failure is a daily challenge, she tries to focus the things she can do with her family. Photo courtesy of Carly Nabors.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3><strong>Managing her heart failure<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>It hasn\u2019t been easy, Carly admitted. \u201cIt\u2019s been a big learning curve.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCarly has continued a program of regularly scheduled exercise three times per week including treadmill, exercise bike and the elliptical machine,\u201d Doing said. \u201cHer ability to exercise remains good.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Carly must limit her salt and water intake because of the increased risk of extra fluid buildup. She regularly checks her weight, as a 3-to-4-pound increase can mean she\u2019s retaining fluid at dangerous levels.<\/p>\n<p>Eating out is a challenge, too. Carly has learned to cook meals at home that fit her new requirements \u2014 and Chris also is supportive there.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy role is just to tell her it tastes good,\u201d he chuckled. Smiling at Carly, he continued, \u201cI couldn\u2019t do what she does. She\u2019s amazing. My main job is supporting.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>After the first few months of treatment, Doing reviewed Carly\u2019s condition. He tweaked her medication with the goal to get her off as many of the pills as possible.<\/p>\n<p>But even with intervention, Carly\u2019s heart function has fluctuated. And it is for that reason that Doing consults with his colleague <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/provider\/amrut-ambardekar-md-cardiovascular-disease\/\">Dr. Amrut Ambardekar<\/a>, medical director of heart transplantation and cardiologist with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/locations\/uchealth-heart-failure-clinic-anchutz-medical-campus\/\">heart failure clinic at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital<\/a> at Anschutz Medical Campus.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_32266\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-32266\" style=\"width: 234px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-32266\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/06\/02145254\/AmrutAmbardekar-tiny.webp\" alt=\"headshot of doctor who helps patients with heart failure caused by pregnancy.\" width=\"234\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/06\/02145254\/AmrutAmbardekar-tiny.webp 300w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/06\/02145254\/AmrutAmbardekar-tiny-234x300.webp 234w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/06\/02145254\/AmrutAmbardekar-tiny-117x150.webp 117w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/06\/02145254\/AmrutAmbardekar-tiny-200x257.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 234px) 100vw, 234px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-32266\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dr. Amrut Ambardekar, medical director of heart transplantation and cardiologist with the heart failure clinic at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital at Anschutz Medical Campus.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Consulting Ambardekar not only provides Doing with a second opinion regarding Carly\u2019s medications, but it also makes Ambardekar aware of her case if ever a heart transplant becomes necessary.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou don\u2019t want a heart transplant, as it is a big deal,\u201d Doing explained. \u201cAnd Carly is too healthy for that, but we wanted to make sure we got her evaluated for a transplant in case it does need to be an option.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Carly sees Ambardekar about once a year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBeing part of UCHealth facilitates that partnership,\u201d Doing said.<\/p>\n<p>And because Ambardekar visits with patients at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/locations\/uchealth-heart-center-vascular-clinic-at-medical-center-of-the-rockies\/\">Heart and Vascular Center at Medical Center of the Rockies<\/a>, Carly doesn\u2019t have to travel to Denver.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Enjoying each day<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Carly also has an implanted defibrillator. People with heart failure whose ejection fraction doesn\u2019t improve more than 35% with medications have an increased risk for heart arrhythmia. A defibrillator can detect any arrhythmia and respond with a shock. Those with low heart function have a defibrillator that also serves as a pacemaker, which is able to synchronize heart rhythms. Carly got that device in 2013, and it was upgraded in 2018.<\/p>\n<p>Carly also gets regular testing. There have been a few scares that brought them back from family camping trips, and her weak heart has limited activities like snowshoeing. But she\u2019s taken up dirt-bike riding with her family and loves to camp.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAside from not being able to mountain bike up a hill, this has pushed us to try more stuff to enjoy,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd we aren\u2019t waiting for that call every day. We don\u2019t have control over a lot, so we pray a lot \u2014 and enjoy every day that we have.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Like many first-time parents, Carly and Chris Nabors settled into their new routine of feedings, naps and cuddling over late hours and long days. They were tired but little Lacie was their darling. They adored her. A few weeks after healing from the delivery, Carly began to spend the warm days on walks with her [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2164,"featured_media":32261,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[515,3896,3512,1013,309,212],"class_list":["post-31896","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","tag-cardiovascular-services","tag-childbirth-and-newborn-care","tag-heart-and-vascular-care-cardiovascular","tag-heart-failure","tag-pregnancy","tag-womens-care"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.7 (Yoast SEO v27.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Mother battles rare heart disease caused by pregnancy - UCHealth Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"People mistakenly assume the symptoms are signs of aging, or as for Carly, a aside effect of parenthood. But her heart disease was caused by pregnancy.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/mother-continues-to-battle-rare-heart-disease-caused-by-pregnancy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mother continues to battle rare heart disease caused by pregnancy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"People mistakenly assume the symptoms are signs of aging, or as for Carly, a aside effect of parenthood. 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