Association of Preterm Birth With Myocardial Fibrosis and Diastolic Dysfunction in Young Adulthood

Preterm birth affects about 10% of live births worldwide and is associated with cardiac alterations. Animal models of preterm birth suggest that left ventricular functional impairment may be due to an up-regulation of myocardial fibrosis.The aim of this study was to determine whether diffuse left ventricular fibrosis is evident in young adults born preterm.One hundred one normotensive young adults born preterm (n = 47, mean gestational age 32.8...