High pressure during pregnancy presents women with a heart attack by 70%

Health and Medical

NEW YORK [Reuters Health] – Women with high blood pressure during pregnancy are more likely to have a heart attack or stroke in the next two decades, a new study suggests.

The researchers found that women with high blood pressure during pregnancy had a 80 percent greater risk of stroke.

High blood pressure puts additional stress on blood vessels and the heart, weakening them, the authors note. High blood pressure during pregnancy may also be an early warning of a latent problem.

To confirm the results, scientists at the University of Cambridge and the University of Bristol examined 6.3 million women in English hospitals between 1997 and 2015.

During this time, 27689 pregnancies were affected by high blood pressure and 223715 cases of preeclampsia.

The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, was presented at a conference of the British Heart and Blood Association in Manchester.