Researchers at the Healthy Aging Research Institute, part of the Department of Cardiology at Schmidt Heart Institute in the United States, conducted a study with a scientific team to explore how hypertension during pregnancy may influence the heart long after childbirth. The findings, published in the journal Hypertension, suggest that high blood pressure conditions during pregnancy are linked with measurable changes in the structure and function of the maternal heart years after delivery.
The study enrolled more than five thousand Spanish-speaking women who had experienced pregnancy at least once. Among them, researchers identified individuals who developed hypertensive conditions during pregnancy, including gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, or eclampsia. In addition to these conditions, the team evaluated other cardiovascular risk factors that could independently contribute to early signs of heart disease later in life.
Using diagnostic cardiac imaging across the cohort, investigators found that roughly 14% of women who faced hypertensive disorders during pregnancy showed adjustments in heart structure or function that deviated from typical patterns. These changes encompassed several measurable abnormalities in cardiac geometry and performance.
Specifically, some participants exhibited thickening of the heart walls and alterations in left ventricular geometry. Others showed a reduced ejection fraction, a key indicator of how effectively the heart pumps blood with each beat. Ejection fraction is calculated as the percentage of blood ejected from the left ventricle during contraction relative to the total amount present before a beat. Lower values signal diminished heart efficiency and greater dysfunction. Importantly, these particular issues were far less common among women who did not experience hypertensive disorders during pregnancy.
The researchers emphasized that the presence of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy can be a signal of potential long-term cardiovascular risk, rather than a transient pregnancy-related event. Although the study included participants who identify as Hispanic, the team noted that the results are unlikely to be unique to any single ethnic group, race, or national origin. The authors suggest that for some women, pregnancy acts as more than a temporary stressor; it may reveal baseline cardiovascular vulnerabilities that could persist for years after childbirth.
These insights add to the growing understanding that pregnancy-related hypertension is not merely an obstetric concern but also a window into future heart health. Clinicians may consider monitoring strategies for women with a history of hypertensive disorders to detect early signs of cardiac remodeling or functional decline. Early detection can inform lifestyle interventions, risk-factor management, and tailored follow-up care, potentially reducing the likelihood of progressive heart disease in the years after delivery.
The study aligns with a broader push in maternal health to recognize that conditions experienced during pregnancy can influence long-term health trajectories. By highlighting the association between hypertensive pregnancy disorders and subsequent cardiac changes, researchers aim to support informed clinical decisions and empower women with knowledge about their heart health over the decades following childbirth. The work contributes to a shifting view of pregnancy as a period that can reveal enduring cardiovascular risks and opportunities for preventive care, rather than simply a temporary physiological state. Citation: Hypertension journal, study results described here.