OBESE-EMBRYO: Impact of the embryonic obesogenic environment on programming of cardiovascular diseases across the life course

Project summary

>50% of all pregnancies occur in couples with overweight or obesity, leading to tremendous risks for pregnancy and long-term offspring cardiovascular complications. My hypothesis is that an embryonic obesogenic environment, induced by the mother and father-to-be, predisposes to placental and embryonic programming of cardiovascular diseases across the life course. This leads to the intergenerational cycle of the cardiovascular disease epidemic. Lifestyle interventions in pregnancy are emerging, but unsuccessful in improving pregnancy or offspring cardiovascular outcomes due to inadequate timing, unclear intervention targets and unpredictable outcomes. OBESE-EMBRYO aims to radically improve care for overweight and obese parents-to-be by targeting the embryonic obesogenic environment to prevent development of cardiovascular diseases in offspring. To fulfil this mission, OBESE-EMBRYO will provide crucial insights for evidence-based, personalized, prevention and intervention strategies from preconception onwards. Beyond state-of-the-art aspects: 1) First population-based study on preconception and early-pregnancy as critical periods for adverse effects of an embryonic obesogenic environment, induced by the mother and father-to-be; 2) Intergenerational metabolism studies using metabolomics and oral-glucose-tolerance-tests to identify unknown metabolic pathways; 3) Cutting-edge imaging studies of cardiovascular development from embryonic life into adulthood to identify unknown developmental adaptations; 4) Longitudinal, repeated, placental-miRNA-studies throughout the first trimester, with an integrated approach to address replication, tissue specificity, functionality; 5) Translation of results into prediction models for offspring cardiovascular complications using Artificial-Intelligence and an evidence-based clinical support system for overweight and obese parents-to-be. Expected results will have great population impact on cardiovascular health in future generations.