The preeclampsia syndrome complicates 3–5 % of pregnancies worldwide and is a leading cause of maternal mortality [1]. In addition to adverse pregnancy outcomes, preeclampsia is associated with an increased risk for the subsequent development of multiple chronic conditions, including cardiovascular disease [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7]. In particular, these women have an increased risk of future chronic hypertension, cardiomyopathy, stroke, coronary artery disease, and cardiovascular mortality [4], [6], [8].

The pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying these associations remain unclear [7], but multiple overlapping pathogenic molecular pathways and biomarkers have been identified in patients with preeclampsia and cardiovascular disease [9], [10]. Two of these biomarkers are B-type natriuretic peptide and analytes of the troponin complex. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a hormone biomarker that is synthesized and released by cardiomyocytes in response to stretch [11]. BNP and its amino-terminal cometabolite, N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), are used in the diagnosis of congestive heart failure [11]. BNP has been shown to be elevated in preeclampsia [12], and increasing serum concentrations of this hormone in the antepartum period have been associated with cardiac dysfunction and adverse perinatal outcomes in women with preeclampsia [13], [14]. The troponin complex consists of multiple cardiac-specific proteins that are sensitive biomarkers for cardiomyocyte injury and infarction [15]. Novel fifth generation high-sensitivity troponin assays are 100–10,000 times more sensitive than previous generations. Measurement of these lower concentrations of cardiac troponins may provide insight into the relationship between cardiac pathology and other disease states, including preeclampsia [16].

The cardiovascular system undergoes drastic functional alterations during the course of normal pregnancy. In particular, cardiac output rises throughout pregnancy and peaks during the intrapartum period [17]. Whether concentrations of the aforementioned analytes change during labor could inform our understanding of the timing of events that lead to increased cardiac morbidity in patients with SPE. The following study was designed to compare serum levels and trends of NT-proBNP and high sensitivity cardiac troponin-T (hs-cTnT) during the intrapartum period. We hypothesized that patients with SPE would have increased levels of these analytes as compared with normotensive laboring patients.