A new study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology has established that women with preeclampsia are at a higher risk of developing stroke and heart attack within seven years of giving birth compared to peers. Furthermore, the researchers found that the risk remains higher after 20 years.
University of Copenhagen’s Dr. Sara Hallum, the study’s author, said the high cardiovascular disease risk after preeclampsia shows at younger ages and immediately following delivery. She said this indicates that measures to prevent stroke and heart attack in affected women can’t wait until middle age when they are eligible for traditional heart screening programs.
Currently, preeclampsia affects around 85 of pregnancies globally. Its medical signs include protein in Urine and high blood pressure that develops soon after delivery or after 20 weeks of pregnancy. However, Dr. Hallum explained that some women might mistake it for normal pregnancy symptoms and are unlikely to seek medical attention until it worsens. Although most preeclampsia cases are mild, they may lead to serious complications for the baby and mother if unattended.
It is vital to note that the condition predisposes women to an increased risk of heart disease later in life. However, this was the first study examining how soon strokes and heart attacks manifest after pregnancy and the severity of the risk across different age groups.
The study evaluated 1,157,666 women, with 2% of those with preeclampsia in the first pregnancy reportedly indicating they had a stroke or heart attack within 20 years of delivery relative to 1.2%in unaffected women. The risk differences were apparent seven years following delivery. Generally, women with preeclampsia were three times and four times more likely to have a stroke or heart attack within ten years of giving birth than those without. Surprisingly the risk of stroke or heart attack was twice as high 20 years after delivery relative to unaffected women.