Pregnancy and heart disease: Time for a randomized controlled trial

Cardiac disease is the most important cause of maternal mortality and despite considerable efforts by cardiologists and obstetricians alike, the numbers of deaths continue to rise. The literature on the subject is limited and almost entirely made up of case series. In this editorial we consider the need for randomized controlled trials in key areas, some will be harder than others to complete, but all are required to help reverse the growing numbers of women who die from heart disease during pregnancy. Crown Copyright (C) 2013 Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.