Why you shouldn’t turn a blind eye on pregnancy complications once baby is here
When Abby* discovered she was pregnant, she felt a wave of joy and excitement. She imagined the tiny heart beating inside her, unaware that her own heart would later bear the consequences of what her body was about to endure.
As the months progressed, her once smooth pregnancy started to take a turn. Around the 30-week mark, Abby’s blood pressure began to rise. She was diagnosed with preeclampsia, a pregnancy complication characterised by high blood pressure and in severe cases, preeclampsia can lead to damage in organs like the liver or kidneys. With close monitoring and care, Abby delivered a healthy baby boy, but that wasn’t the end of it. What she didn’t know was that the health issues she faced during pregnancy would echo into the future, significantly increasing her risk of heart disease.
The connection between pregnancy complications like preeclampsia and future heart disease is not immediately obvious, but it is a vital one. Over the past few decades, researchers have uncovered that women who experience pregnancy-related issues, such as high blood pressure, are more likely to develop cardiovascular problems later in life. This raises the question: why?
The Cardiovascular Puzzle
To understand this connection, let’s first explore what happens in the body during pregnancy. In a healthy pregnancy, the heart works harder to pump blood to support both the mother and the developing baby. However, when a complication like preeclampsia occurs, it places extra strain on the cardiovascular system. The blood vessels may become more constricted, and inflammation may rise which can cause long-term damage to the blood vessels.
What many people don’t realise is that these complications can leave a lasting imprint on the mother’s body. High blood pressure, even if it resolves after delivery, can change the structure of the blood vessels, leaving them stiffer and more prone to future damage. This creates fertile ground for the development of heart disease.
But there’s more to the story—beyond the heart and blood vessels lies a complex relationship with another key player: the immune system.
The role of the immune system
During pregnancy, the immune system undergoes a delicate balancing act. It protects the mother from infection while also tolerating the presence of the developing baby, which contains foreign genetic material from the father – something the immune system is trained to fight.
In women with complications like preeclampsia, this balance is often disrupted. Instead of maintaining a healthy immune response, there is an increase in inflammation. This inflammatory state can persist even after the baby is born, triggering chronic inflammation, which is a major risk factor for heart disease. Over time, inflammation can damage the lining of blood vessels, leading to a buildup of plaque, the development of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), and eventually heart attacks or strokes.
In Abby’s case, her immune system’s response to preeclampsia didn’t simply disappear after childbirth. By the time she reached her 40s, her risk of heart disease had doubled and her risk of chronic high blood pressure is four times higher, compared to women who had uncomplicated pregnancies.
Beyond Pregnancy: Mitigation of the lifelong risk
Research has shown that women like Abby, who experience preeclampsia or other pregnancy complications like gestational diabetes or preterm birth, are at a significantly higher risk of developing heart disease and other cardiovascular problems. Early interventions, like regular cardiovascular check-ups and lifestyle changes—such as maintaining a healthy diet, exercising, and managing stress—can help reduce the risk of heart disease in women who have experienced pregnancy complications.
You can help advance this research
The immune system's contribution to this risk of developing heart disease following pregnancy complications is an evolving field of study and our researchers are aiming to understand the link between heart health following a pregnancy complication and the immune system.
A current study, led by researchers from the Robinson Research Institute and the Northern Adelaide Local Health Network, is looking for women who had an uncomplicated pregnancy and have had their baby less than six months ago, to form a control group. If you are interested in participating, please read the eligibility criteria and get in touch. You will be compensated for your participation.
*Name changed