Hypertension During Pregnancy May Affect Women’s Long-Term Cardiovascular Health

Women who experience hypertension during pregnancy face an increased risk of heart disease and hypertension later in life, according to a new study.

Among 146,748 women with a first pregnancy and a follow-up of approximately four-and-a-half years, 997 were diagnosed with cardiovascular disease and 6812 developed hypertension. Compared with women without hypertension during pregnancy, those with hypertension during pregnancy had a 2.2-times higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease and a 5.6-times higher risk of developing hypertension after pregnancy. Subsequent pregnancies did not appear to influence these associations.

“This study highlights the need for long-term follow-up of women with a history of hypertension during pregnancy to provide early management of risk factors for cardiovascular disease" said Sonia Grandi, PhD candidate at McGill University and lead author of the Paediatric & Perinatal Epidemiology study.

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Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology is an international, peer reviewed journal that crosses the boundaries between epidemiologists, paediatricians, developmental psychologists, environmental specialists, obstetricians, child health specialists and genetic epidemiologists. Its main focus is to ensure that the most important paediatric, reproductive, obstetric and perinatal studies reach those researchers and clinicians for whom the results are especially relevant. It publishes original research articles commentaries, book reviews, study designs, detailed methodologies and review articles.