High Blood Pressure during Pregnancy may Increase the Risk of Stroke

A recent study shows that high blood pressure during pregnancy could elevate the risk of a future stroke.

"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, via a press release. "The elevated risk of stroke could be as high as 40 per cent."

Dr. Ganesh, along with Neha Sarna (medical student), Dr. Rahul Mehta (internal medicine resident) and senior author Dr. Eric Smith (stroke neurologist), conducted the study that involved an examination of hypertension during pregnancy and its relationship to future risk of stroke.

Studies followed women one to 32 years after a pregnancy in order to find evidence that those with a history of hypertension during their pregnancy were at a higher risk to experience a stroke later in life.

As hypertension is a common medical problem experienced during pregnancy that can pose serious health risks such as decreased blood flow to the placenta or early delivery, findings showed that throughout pregnancy, changes in blood pressure could be monitored but not specifically treated.

"These women should be more closely followed for a re-emergence of hypertension, as well as for cholesterol, diabetes or other markers of increased risk of stroke," Ganesh said, via the release.

As the exact cause of hypertension during pregnancy is undetermined, one theory suggests that woman may be genetically predisposed to high blood pressure and pregnancy can make it worse.

"Hypertension is the most important risk factor for stroke," Dr. Michael Hill, co-chair of the Canadian Stroke Congress said, via the release. "Knowing your blood pressure may be one of the most important steps you can take to reducing stroke risk, something that is particularly true among women with a history of pregnancy-associated hypertension."

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