Adverse pregnancy outcomes may increase risk of heart disease

A new study suggests that pregnancy-related hypertension can lead to heart disease during menopause.

For the study, researchers sought to assess the association between a self-reported history of preeclampsia or eclampsia, gestational hypertension, and gestational diabetes with cardiovascular outcomes in postmenopausal women. What they found is that a self-reported history of gestational hypertension was associated with heart disease.

Women with preeclampsia or all three adverse pregnancy outcomes also had a numerically higher prevalence of heart disease, but it did not meet the standards of statistical significance. No association was found between gestational diabetes and heart disease.

“Future research based on a larger sample size is needed to better understand the role adverse pregnancy outcomes may have in cardiovascular disease development and risk stratification,” says Marie Tan, lead author from Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia.

More detailed results will be discussed at the 2024 Annual Meeting of The Menopause Society as part of the presentation entitled “The association between adverse pregnancy outcomes and cardiovascular disease in menopausal women: results from a cross-sectional analysis.”

“Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of mortality in women and it’s important to study any new risk factors” says Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director for The Menopause Society.

“Although future research is still needed, studies like this are important and remind us to thoroughly discuss a patient’s health history, including any complications or adverse outcomes during pregnancy.”