Scientists from the Healthy Aging Research Institute of the Department of Cardiology at the Schmidt Heart Institute (USA), as part of a scientific team, found that hypertension during pregnancy is associated with changes in the normal structure and functioning of the female heart after birth. of a child. results published In the journal Hypertension.
More than five thousand Spanish women who had been pregnant at least once before were included in the study. Researchers identified people with hypertensive conditions during pregnancy, such as gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, or eclampsia. Other cardiovascular risk factors that could potentially lead to early signs of heart disease were also considered.
After performing diagnostic cardiac imaging tests on the subjects, researchers found that about 14% of participants who developed hypertensive disorders during pregnancy had problems with changes in the normal structure and function of the heart.
These include thickening of the heart walls, abnormal left ventricular geometry, and low ejection fraction. The latter reflects the efficiency of the heart and is expressed as the percentage of the volume of blood entering and remaining in the aorta during contraction. The lower the ejection fraction, the more severe the degree of heart dysfunction. Such disorders were much less common in women who did not experience hypertensive disorders during pregnancy.
The researchers also noted that although the study included Hispanic women, the results were unlikely to be specific to any particular ethnic group, race or national origin. The scientists said their study helps clarify that for some women, pregnancy is more than a “stress test” that determines underlying cardiovascular risks. Sometimes these risks can be associated with long-term negative effects on the heart years after the baby is born.
Previously was named A dangerous consequence of hypertension in young and middle age.