Long Term Effects of Gestational Hypertension

A British study from University of Cambridge analyzed the results of a meta-analysis involving a total of 3.6 million women, including 128,000 with gestational hypertension. The study was recently published in the Journal of the American Heart Association and can be accessed at https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.119.013991
These women have a 45% higher risk of developing a cardiovascular disease, a risk that increases to 81% if they have hypertension during multiple pregnancies. Regular follow-up care, especially as they approach menopause, helps limit this risk. This is why a cardiovascular consultation for all women at the age of 50 is so important. This is a practice that Women’s Cardiovascular Healthcare Foundation is working to expand. A pilot will be starting soon in the Hauts-de-France region in partnership with ARS and URPS.