Women experiencing gestational hypertension or preeclampsia have a 2.4-times higher risk of developing hypertension 10 years post-pregnancy, a study published June 13 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found.
Researchers analyzed 135 women, 84 of whom had a history of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and 51 of whom did not, to evaluate the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular disease. They found that women with a history of the disease had more than double the risk than those who did not.
"[Our trial] along with studies with similar findings, further highlights the importance of routine screening for hypertension in this population," said Lisa Levine, MD, lead author of the study and director of the Pregnancy and Heart Disease Program at Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. "Future studies should evaluate the optimal time period to screen for postpartum hypertension and a monitoring plan for these at-risk women."