Many Americans unaware of long-term risks of heart disease with pregnancy: Study

Many Americans are not aware of the long-term risks of heart disease with pregnancy and the critical care needed before, during and after pregnancy, a new national survey said on Thursday.

Commissioned by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, the survey found that most believe symptoms like fatigue (73 per cent) and nausea (65 per cent) are normal during and after pregnancy while half wouldn't consider fluid retention or upper back or neck pain as a medical concern.

However, these conditions could be signs of heart problems like hypertension (high blood pressure), cardiomyopathy (when the heart doesn't pump properly) or preeclampsia, which is a pregnancy-related disorder that causes a spike in blood pressure.

During pregnancy there are a lot of different hormone shifts that happen to accommodate growth of the baby and health of the mom.

“The result is that the mom's heart rate increases along with the amount of fluid in the body. This can put stress on the heart as does the physical strain of labor and delivery,” said Lauren Hassen, a cardiologist and clinical assistant professor in the university's College of Medicine.

Hassen said it is important for patients to talk with their doctor about pre-existing health issues before getting pregnant and any health changes during or after pregnancy.

“There are conditions that develop during pregnancy that we call adverse pregnancy outcomes like gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes and pre-term delivery. All of these conditions increase the long-term risk for heart disease,” Hassen said.

Preeclampsia has been linked to an elevated risk of heart disease and stroke.

These patients can develop heart disease 10 years earlier than their peers so we know we need to be watching for it, which is why postpartum care for this disorder and others is so important, Hassen said.

Hassen is working with an Ohio State team studying different approaches to postpartum blood pressure control as part of a $12.5 million three-state study.