There's a reliable indicator of a woman's future likelihood of cardiovascular disease — but it rarely gets asked about, says obstetrician and researcher Meryam Sugulle. She delves into the role of the placenta in pregnancy, how it can predict health outcomes and the single question that should be worked into routine health screenings.

You have spent approximately nine months attached to your biological mother during her pregnancy. During those months, her body fed you through the placenta and grew you into a strong little baby. Throughout a whole lifetime, nine months are not that long. But - did you know that those nine months of pregnancy, and the health of the placenta, c...

Mariyam Saigal is pursuing her degree in psychology. She works as a content writer at YourQuote. Which is a writing app that has a vision to democratize creative expression. Published in the first print anthology of The Bombay Review (literary magazine). She's a slambassdor of Airplane Poetry Movement. She has been featured across Bangalore by d...