Calcium Signaling and Cardiac Adaptation to Stress: Focus on Pregnancy and Diabetes.

Calcium (Ca2+) signaling regulates a wide range of processes in the heart, from contractility and excitability to energy supply and cell growth. Consequently, Ca2+ signaling plays a critical role in cardiac adaptation to both physiological and pathophysiological stress. This review examines the role of Ca2+ signaling in the heart's physiological adaptation to pregnancy and its pathological maladaptation in diabetes. We focus on Ca2+-dependent mechanisms involved in hypertrophy, energy imbalance, and electrical remodeling in these two conditions, highlighting shared signaling pathways, functional outcomes, and key knowledge gaps. A deeper understanding of these mechanisms could reveal novel therapeutic targets to improve cardiac health in pregnancy and diabetes.