Birukov A, Herse F, Nielsen JH, et al. - Given the association of pregnancy-induced hypertension with increased risk of long-term cardiovascular disease in mothers and offspring, researchers here examined their hypothesis that maternal blood pressure in pregnancy linked with offspring blood pressure; that the links were gender-specific; and that there is mediating role of maternal circulating placental angiogenic markers (PlGF [placental growth factor] and sFlt-1 [soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1]) in this relationship. From the Odense Child Cohort, a prospective Danish cohort study, they obtained data from 2,434 women and 2,217 children for this analysis. Findings revealed that maternal first, second, and third trimester blood pressure and mean blood pressure in pregnancy are highly correlated with offspring blood pressure trajectory from 4 months to 5 years; this link was observed independent of maternal and offspring covariates. Offspring gender-specific associations were observed: significantly higher systolic blood pressure at 5 years was reported among girls from mothers in the highest quartile of first and third trimester blood pressure relative to the rest of the cohort; whereas significantly higher diastolic blood pressure was reported among boys at 5 years. An inverse association was observed of concentrations of PlGF at gestational week 28 with maternal gestational blood pressure trajectory. Findings thereby suggest the predictive value of maternal gestational blood pressure for offspring blood pressure trajectory until 5 years in a gender-differential manner. In addition, there were subtle alterations in blood pressure in early pregnancy preceding hypertension or preeclampsia, and PlGF was suggested as a mediator of cardiovascular health in pregnancy.