Women who develop pre-eclampsia in pregnancy should be closely monitored for at least ten years because of the significantly raised risk of heart disease, researchers say.
The Keele University researchers say their latest findings confirm the risks that women face after pre-eclampsia.
They analysed 22 studies involving more than 6.5 million women for their research.
Its findings were published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
Overall, it indicates that women who developed pre-eclampsia in pregnancy are at four times the normal population risk of heart failure. This group also has double the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and death due to cardiovascular disease in later life. The increase in risk is similar to that found in a 2007 review of 3,488,160 women.
First author, Dr Pensee Wu of Keele University, UK, says: "Doctors need to be aware of the importance of educating women about their increased level of cardiovascular risk and of advising women about the beneficial effects of changing their lifestyle, such as increasing their level of physical activity and not smoking.
"I hope this work will raise awareness amongst hospital doctors of the advice that they need to give to women with pre-eclampsia."
She added: "The study shows the risk is highest during the first ten years after a pregnancy affected by pre-eclampsia, so it is important that women are regularly monitored during this period for cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity.
"The risks begins to increase for coronary heart disease, heart failure and stroke within one year after giving birth, but it is highest between one to ten years after giving birth."
Co-author Dr Randula Haththotuwa said: "This study is will highlight the importance of lifelong monitoring of women who have suffered from pre-eclampsia of cardiovascular risk factors."
Haththotuwa, R. et al. Go Red for Women Spotlight collection. Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes 2 February 2017; doi: CIRCCQO2016003497-T
Leave a Reply