Women who acquire gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) during pregnancy may require high-risk prenatal care due to issues that can arise during pregnancy and childbirth. Women with GDM are more likely to develop preeclampsia, a disorder that causes pregnancy-induced high blood pressure. Preeclampsia is a dangerous disorder that can lead to premature birth. Women who suffer gestational diabetes are also more likely to undergo cesarean surgery.
Women who had high blood pressure during pregnancy, gestational diabetes, preterm delivery, small-for-gestational-age delivery, pregnancy loss, or placental abruption were more likely to have cardiovascular disease later in life than women who did not have pregnancy problems. The transition of treatment for women after pregnancy problems in health care systems should include more active cardiovascular disease prevention strategies.
Pregnancy problems such as miscarriage, pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, and pre-term birth are connected to an increased risk of heart disease later in life, according to an encompassing (umbrella) analysis of data published today in The BMJ.
According to the researchers, several other reproductive and pregnancy-related characteristics, such as starting periods early, using combined oral contraceptives, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and early menopause, appear to be connected with eventual cardiovascular disease. A longer duration of breastfeeding, on the other hand, was linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
Adopting a heart-healthy diet, healthy sleep patterns, and increased physical activity among women having unfavorable pregnancy outcomes should begin throughout pregnancy and continue post-partum and throughout the patient’s lifetime. These are significant lifestyle strategies to reduce CVD risk
Dr. Parikh
Previous research has suggested that women’s risk factors may be associated to cardiovascular disease and stroke, but clarity on the quality of the evidence and how the findings might be translated into public health and clinical practice is absent.
As a result, a group of UK researchers examined relevant research databases for published systematic reviews and meta-analyses that studied correlations between reproductive variables in women of reproductive age and their risk of cardiovascular disease. A total of 32 reviews were included, with an average follow-up length of 7-10 years, assessing numerous risk factors.
The researchers discovered that a number of factors, including early menarche, the use of combined oral contraceptives, polycystic ovary syndrome, miscarriage, stillbirth, pre-eclampsia, diabetes during pregnancy, pre-term birth, low birth weight, and early menopause, were associated with an up to twofold risk of cardiovascular outcomes.
Pre-eclampsia was associated with a fourfold risk of heart failure.
These connections could be explained by family medical history, genetics, weight, high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and chemical imbalances caused by hormonal contraception use. However, no link was discovered between cardiovascular disease outcomes with current usage of progesterone-only contraceptives, non-oral hormonal contraceptives, or fertility treatment.
Furthermore, breastfeeding has been linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
The researchers acknowledge several limitations, such as missing data and the fact that the reviews were mostly based on observational evidence, implying that they cannot rule out the potential that other unmeasured (confounding) factors played a role.
Nonetheless, they claim that the evidence presented in this umbrella review demonstrates that women’s reproductive profiles are connected with their future risk of cardiovascular illness from menarche through menopause. It also clarifies the quality of the data, identifies gaps in evidence and practice, and makes recommendations that might be integrated into guidelines, such as including reproductive risk factors in the risk assessment for cardiovascular disease, they write.
A balanced diet improves the cardiovascular health of all women, and studies show that a healthy eating pattern three years before pregnancy is related with a lower risk of pregnancy problems. “Adopting a heart-healthy diet, healthy sleep patterns, and increased physical activity among women having unfavorable pregnancy outcomes should begin throughout pregnancy and continue post-partum and throughout the patient’s lifetime. These are significant lifestyle strategies to reduce CVD risk,” added Parikh.
More research into the relationship between pregnancy problems and cardiovascular risk in Black, Hispanic, and Asian women is required. When compared to white women, women of various racial/ethnic groups have greater unfavorable pregnancy outcomes and a larger burden of cardiovascular disease risk factors and cardiovascular disease. According to the statement drafting group, aggressive risk factor reduction is especially crucial in preventing cardiovascular disease in women from certain racial/ethnic groups who have had poor pregnancy outcomes.
