High blood pressure during pregnancy has been linked to a higher risk of stroke in offspring, according to a new study. Further still, according to researchers, there appears to potentially be a higher risk of heart disease associated with this population as well.
Researchers from Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden found "hypertensive disorders during pregnancy are associated with increased risks of stroke and potentially heart disease in offspring up to the age of 41 years," according to Medical Xpress. These increased risks show that there may be a need for intervention during pregnancy to prevent babies from dealing with serious health-related issues as they age.
The study, which was presented at the European Society of Cardiology Heart & Stroke 2021 online conference, stated that studies are very limited regarding associating hypertensive disorders with cardiovascular risks. As such, researchers focused on seeing if a link existed between both ischemic heart disease and stroke when it came to suffering from hypertension.
Finding out where risks lie for heart disease and stroke is important as they are two of the leading causes of death in adults over the past decade, according to the American College of Cardiology. As such, finding out ways to prevent these conditions before they have an opportunity to cause damage is key to decreasing the rates at which people are diagnosed with stroke and heart disease.
To determine what links existed, if any, a review of national registers from Finland and Sweden was conducted. The review consisted of over 5.8 million live births and babies were followed for several decades until 2014. When applicable, siblings of the babies were followed as well to determine their outcomes and potential risks for developing ischemic heart disease and stroke as well.
Records showed that of the 5.8 million babies, over 218,000 were born to mothers with hypertension during pregnancy, according to EurekAlert!
Some of the babies in the study had been followed for over four decades. During that time, 2.340 were found to have ischemic heart disease and 5,360 were determined to have had a stroke, according to the study.
Throughout the study, researchers determined that there was a 29 percent increased chance of being diagnosed with ischemic heart disease and a 33 percent increased chance of being diagnosed with stroke in offspring whose mothers suffered from high blood pressure while expecting, according to Medical Xpress.
When it came to the sibling review, the risk remained high for an increased chance of stroke. However, when it came to ischemic heart disease, the results were mixed.
While the risk of ischemic heart disease varied from person to person, in siblings, the risk of stroke remained high when born to a hypertensive mother. According to researchers, this may indicate "direct intrauterine effects" exist when it comes to stroke. However, according to researchers, not enough studies have been conducted to say this with 100 percent certainty, according to EurekAlert!
Therefore, to come to a more definitive conclusion and make recommendations about interventions necessary during pregnancy, studies specific to stroke and ischemic heart disease need to be completed to see how they relate to pregnancy. And the sooner they happen, the more people can potentially be saved.
Source: EurekAlert!, Medical Xpress, American College of Cardiology