High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy Could Affect Women’s Hearts Long Term

THURSDAY February 25, 2021 (HealthDay News) – Pregnancy-Related arterial hypertension can lead to long-term heart risks, according to new research.

Compared with those who have normal blood pressure during pregnancy, women who have developed blood pressure disorders such as preeclampsia and gestational hypertension had significant differences heart structure and function a decade later to give birth.

These differences mainly affect the left ventricle of the heart and can increase the risk of heart disease and heart failure later in life, unbeknownst to him, according to the University of Pittsburgh study published on February 22 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

The results can help doctors identify women at high risk for long-term heart problems and start preventative treatment, the researchers suggested.

“Hypertension is a silent killer,” said study author Dr. Malamo Countouris, cardiologist and co-director of the Postpartum Hypertension Clinic at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital.

“None of the women in our study had symptoms of heart disease – they are young and probably feeling well and healthy, and may not see a health care provider regularly – but it is important to start screening them early for hypertension, ”she said added in an academic press release.

The study also found that women with a history of high blood pressure during pregnancy and now were at the highest risk for heart problems.

Eight to 10 years after childbirth, 79% of the women in this “double blow” group had thickened walls of their left ventricles. This compared to 36.4% of women with high blood pressure alone during pregnancy; 46.2% with current hypertension alone; and 38.2% of women having neither.

Having both high blood pressure during pregnancy and currently was associated with a condition in which the left ventricle stiffens and does not fill to capacity with blood.

“Identifying women at high risk can provide a window of opportunity for targeted interventions to prevent heart disease,” said Countouris. “Suggesting simple lifestyle or diet changes, including regular exercise and better management of other cardiovascular risk factors, can prevent unwanted changes in the heart and reduce the risk of heart disease later in life. life.”

More research is needed to learn more about the relationship between complicated pregnancies and long-term effects on the heart, Countouris concluded.

More information

The American Academy of Family Physicians has more on high blood pressure during pregnancy.

SOURCE: University of Pittsburgh, press release, February 22, 2021