Heart warning over pre-eclampsia
Friday, 02 Nov 2007 08:25
Pre-eclampsia affects about 5% of all first-time pregnancies
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Pre-eclampsia and heart problems are linked, two new reports claim today in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).
The condition can affect women during pregnancy and causes abnormally high blood pressure that is dangerous to both the mother and child.
In the first report published today, London-based researchers claim that women who have had pre-eclampsia during pregnancy have a more than two-fold higher risk of heart disease in later life.
Their conclusions are based on an analysis of 25 studies involving more than three million women.
They found that women with a history of pre-eclampsia had a two-fold increase of fatal and non-fatal ischaemic heart disease, stroke, and blood clots.
A small increase in overall mortality was found as well as a four-fold increased risk of high blood pressure.
No increase in risk was found between pre-eclampsia and breast cancer.
"The mechanism underlying [the link between pre-eclampsia and heart problems] remains to be defined, but whatever its nature a history of pre-eclampsia should be considered in the evaluation of women's risk of cardiovascular disease," the researchers conclude.
"If the risk proves independent of established risk factors for cardiovascular disease, affected women would be eligible for preventive therapies at an earlier age than usual."
In the second study Norwegian researchers found that women with cardiovascular risk factors that are present years before pregnancy may be predisposed to pre-eclampsia.
Nearly 3,500 women were analysed for their cardiovascular risk factors before pregnancy including blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels, weight, and body mass index.
After adjusting for risk factors such as smoking they found the odds of pre-eclampsia to be seven times greater in women with high pre-pregnant blood pressure, total cholesterol and blood sugar levels compared to women with readings in the normal range.
A family history of high blood pressure, heart disease or diabetes was each associated with a doubling in risk.
Commenting on the studies, L Magee from the University of British Columbia said in an accompanying article: "Future research must investigate whether targeting women with previous pre-eclampsia identifies a population that is more receptive to lifestyle changes or one that should have their traditional cardiovascular risk markers treated earlier and more aggressively (or both)."