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.