Study Links High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy to Increased Risk of Stroke in Future

A latest study presented at the Canadian Stroke Congress claims that women with high blood pressure during pregnancy suffer from a high risk of stroke in the future.

The new finding reveals that high blood pressure, particularly pre-eclampsia during pregnancy, dramatically increases a woman's lifetime risk of stroke. Therefore, women with this pregnancy complication need to have their blood pressures monitored to avoid such long term risks.

"We've found that women who had high blood pressure during pregnancy could be at higher risk of stroke, particularly if they had pre-eclampsia, which is a more severe form of high blood pressure," Dr. Aravind Ganesh, a neurology resident at the University of Calgary said in a statement. "The elevated risk of stroke could be as high as 40 per cent."

Dr. Ganesh along with his colleagues conducted a systematic review and looked at nine studies that focused in hypertension during pregnancy and also its association to future risk of stroke. The studies included women from one to 32 years after pregnancy. Researchers noticed that those with history of hypertension during pregnancy were more likely to suffer stoke in later life.

One of the common medical problems encountered during pregnancy is hypertension. This results in complication of atleast two-three percent of all pregnancies. It triggers problems such as early delivery or reduced flow of blood to the placenta. Because of these complications, women are constantly monitored throughout the pregnancy to check the change in blood pressure. Currently, there are no particular recommendations regarding stroke related screening or preventive measures.

Women are closely followed for re-emergence of hypertension including cholesterol, diabetes and other markers of elevated risk of stroke.

"It's important for women to be aware of their blood pressure, and potential changes to it, during pregnancy," says Ian Joiner, director of stroke at the Heart and Stroke Foundation. "An increase is an indication that they should to talk to their doctor about their risk factors and overall vascular health. The bottom line is that it's important that women with pregnancy-related hypertension routinely monitor their blood pressure throughout their lives."