New research conducted at the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai reveals that women who exhibit signs of elevated blood pressure during pregnancy may experience enduring effects on heart structure and function for up to a decade post-pregnancy.
The study, led by Susan Cheng, MD, MPH, the Erika J. Glazer Chair in Women’s Cardiovascular Health and Population Science, and director of the Institute for Research on Healthy Aging in the Department of Cardiology at the Smidt Heart Institute, indicates that pregnancy-related hypertension may leave lasting imprints on cardiovascular health.
Cheng emphasizes, “This study helps to clarify that, for some women, pregnancy is not just a ‘stress test’ that unmasks underlying cardiovascular risks. This risk may also affect the heart years after pregnancy.”
Published in the peer-reviewed journal Hypertension, the research focused on over 5,000 Hispanic/Latina women with at least one prior pregnancy. The study identified those who had experienced hypertensive disorders during pregnancy, including gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, or eclampsia.
Upon adjusting for other cardiovascular risk factors that could contribute to early signs of heart disease, researchers discovered that approximately 14% of the participants who had developed hypertensive disorders during pregnancy exhibited persistent heart-related issues in cardiac imaging. These issues encompassed increased heart-wall thickness, more frequent abnormal left-ventricle geometry, and lower ejection fraction compared to women with a prior pregnancy but without any related hypertensive disorder.
Despite being a substantial and growing segment of the U.S. population, Hispanic/Latina women have historically been underrepresented in medical studies. Leveraging data from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos, a multicenter community-based study, the researchers engaged this diverse population in their investigation. However, the study authors note that due to the inherent diversity within the Hispanic/Latinx community, the study’s findings are not likely specific to any particular ethnicity, race, or national origin.
Christine M. Albert, MD, MPH, Chair of the Department of Cardiology in the Smidt Heart Institute, acknowledges the significance of the study, stating, “Cedars-Sinai has long invested in women’s heart health research, and this newest, critical study deepens our understanding of who is most at risk for hypertensive disorders in pregnancy.” Albert, who holds the Lee and Harold Kapelovitz Distinguished Chair in Cardiology, was not directly involved in this study.
