Does hypertension during pregnancy increase the future risk of heart disease and stroke?

This study looked at the link between hypertension during pregnancy and heart disease and strokes in later life. The authors concluded that hypertension during pregnancy can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke in middle age.

Patients with hypertension have a higher resting blood pressure than the body needs. The blood pressure needs to be lowered to avoid complications such as coronary heart disease, ischaemic stroke (caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain) and haemorrhagic stroke (caused by bleeding on the brain).

Pregnancy can cause hypertension in some women. In many cases, blood pressure returns to normal after pregnancy. It has been suggested that women experiencing hypertension during pregnancy are at a higher risk of developing heart disease or stroke in later life. The long term effects have not been fully studied.

Data was collected from 1.1 million women aged 50 to 64 who had been pregnant in the past. 26% of these women had experienced hypertension during pregnancy. None of the women had a history of stroke or heart disease before pregnancy. The average follow-up period was 11.6 years.

27.3% of women who had a hypertensive pregnancy were being treated for hypertension at the time of the study. This was lower for women who did not experienced a hypertensive pregnancy (10.1%). 

Women who had hypertension during pregnancy were 29% more likely to experience coronary heart disease. They were also 29% more likely to experience ischaemic stroke and 14% more likely to experience haemorrhagic stroke.

Hypertension in middle age was associated with a greater risk of heart disease or stroke than a history of hypertension during pregnancy.

This authors concluded that hypertension during pregnancy was associated with increased risks of coronary heart disease and stroke in later life. 

The severity of hypertension during pregnancy was not recorded. The results may vary across different forms of pregnancy hypertension.

Consult with your physician if you have experienced hypertension during pregnancy in the past and have any concerns.