They Say: Pre-eclampsia Now, Heart Problems Later

Kate Tuttle — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 14:01:00 GMT

Pre-eclampsia is one of those pregnancy-related health conditions that is cured by delivering the baby. All the dangers -- the skyrocketing blood pressure, the risk of seizures or stroke -- melt away once the cord is cut and the infant is out on its own. So even though it's a very serious, not uncommon malady (occuring in 5% of pregnancies), the doctors who treat a woman once she's past the baby-having phase typically don't pay much attention to it, or even understand it well.

All that may soon change. New research suggests that women who experience pre-eclampsia are at higher risk for heart attacks and strokes later in life. And the doctors who study the condition say it's time for other physicians to take heed. As they point out, pregnancy serves as a kind of natural stress test for the cardiovascular system; women whose bodies have problems in pregnancy, while typically young and healthy now, need to be watched more carefully, and perhaps undertake concerted preventive efforts, to stave off future problems.

From the New YorkTimes article:

That risk is small, but noteworthy. Of 100 women in their mid-40s with a history of normal pregnancy, about 4 would be expected to have a heart attack or stroke some 10 years later, said Dr. David Williams, an obstetrician at University College London who published an analysis of 25 pre-eclampsia studies in 2007. But the figure rises to 8 in 100 among women with pre-eclampsia, and even more among those who have had it more than once.

Dr. Williams now counsels pre-eclampsia patients to be screened frequently for cholesterol levels, blood sugar and blood pressure, and to consider treatment with medication if the levels are high. But increasing awareness of the link between pre-eclampsia and heart disease remains a challenge. “It’s not readily appreciated by physicians,” Dr. Smith said. “If you ask a cardiologist, they go, ‘I never heard of it.’ ”

So if you had pre-eclampsia during your pregnancy, is this bad news? Should you resign yourself to a future of heart disease down the road? According to the doctors quoted in the Times article, the reverse is true: consider yourself lucky that you have had the opportunity to learn, early on, that you may be at risk for conditions that you can now work on preventing. In other words, women who've lived through pre-eclampsia have been given a gift: a glimpse into one possible future, one they can now avoid.

More by this author:

Boomer Grandmothers: Out Of Control?

Move Over, Booties! Here Come Knitted Boobies

Think Your Baby's Car Seat Is Safe? Think Again

California Daycare Closed; Worker Was Mocking Kids' Genitals

Pregnant Women Compete in Marathon

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 17:50:00 GMT

Meet the Speed Bumps: a relay team of five women who are planning to beat the pants of off their competition in Ohio’s Road Runner Akron Marathon.

The only difference between this team and their 10,000 or so competitors is that the Speed Bumps will all be running for two. All five women are in or nearing their third trimester, with Kimberly Bucey (pictured) the farthest along at eight months.

All of the women got the OK from their doctors before agreeing to compete, but some of their husbands are nervous nonetheless. Naturally, the key to healthy exercise during pregnancy is to listen to your body’s cues (for instance, if you can’t catch your breath, your baby may not be getting enough oxygen), and this may be harder to do when you’re competing.

But the Speed Bumps are marathon buffs who are thrilled to be able to keep running during their pregnancies, and are confident they can do so in a healthy manner. “It’s great to keep running because it’s great to stay in shape,” said Monica Nowac, one of the Speed Bumps. “And it’s great to spread the word about staying in shape while you’re pregnant. To think anything else is simply archaic at this point.”

What do you think? Is "spreading the word" about exercise during pregnancy a laudable goal, or are those nine months when staying in shape should be the last thing you're worried about?

Photo: Ohio.com

Strollerderby : cardiovascular

They Say: Pre-eclampsia Now, Heart Problems Later

Pregnant Women Compete in Marathon