Cardiovascular risk and pre eclampsia

[Greycloudsbrightskies]

Hello, I've had three pregnancies and had pre eclampsia in all of them. I've been reading about the long term increased risks of cardiovascular disease, heart attacks and strokes and feel quite worried. While I am doing everything I can to mitigate my risks, they're still there.

Anyone have any particular knowledge or experience with this?

I'd recommend anyone who has had preeclampsia previously to buy a BP monitor. I check mine every few months. Much easier than going to the doctors for checks

I had my second child at 40. No high bp or pre eclampsia in pregnancy. I had a c section and my BP has been very high ever since. I have 2 lots of bp medication I'm 45 now.

I posted in your other thread - I had pre-eclampsia and assumed it was all fine as soon as my baby was born, but 17 years later at 47 I went on to have a heart attack, with no apparent risk factors (my BMI is 19, I dont smoke, ate healthily and exercised a lot, my cholesterol was 5.2 at the time of my heart attack). I have wondered about the link but nobody has mentioned it, the GP didn’t really say much and the cardiologist also seemed disinterested. I might ask at my next appointment although it’s all speculation at this point, as nobody seems to know what caused mine!

I’m really worried now, I didn’t know this was a risk. I had severe pre eclampsia 13 years ago resulting in DD being born at 27 weeks. I never had my blood pressure checked again after my 6 week check up, until I had hip replacement surgery last year and they said it was high but not worryingly high and put it down to me being nervous at the pre op. Nobody mentioned anything about it after the surgery though when they did the BP checks. They also said my heart rate was a little bit fast after the first surgery but they got me to try to relax and take deep breaths and they said it slowed down. I have a huge fear of hospitals and medical things after everything I went through with the pre eclampsia so it could just all have been nerves but I do worry. I hope they would have raised it as a concern if it had been worrying.

I am overweight now after being barely mobile for years due to arthritis in my hips but I’m working on my weight now they’re fixed. I have never smoked and hardly drink at all.

Hi @Glitterblue I'm sorry this thread has worried you! Like previous people have said all we can do is reduce the other risks and keep an eye on blood pressure. I feel exactly like you about hospitals and blood pressure monitors etc...I have a monitor at home and try to make sure I take mine regularly, otherwise if I leave a long time without doing it (like at the moment...haven't done it for ages) I feel so stressed and anxious about doing it. I hope that that way I'll see if (when?!) it creeps up, and don't rely on a one off check at doctors when I know I get so stressed by the sound of the machine alone!

@TubbsTattysyrup I'm sorry to hear you've had a heart attack and hope you are resting and have a straightforward and speedy recovery. It does seem like pre eclampsia gets treated under maternity, and then once it's resolved there isn't much advice or information about the long term risks and what to do. If one doctor hadn't happened to mention it I wouldn't really have known.

If you're happy to share do let us know if the cardiologist has any insight into the link with pre eclampsia

Hi, I have teenage kids and have high blood pressure after Pre eclampsia. Shocking lack of information provided, did not know that I was at risk at all. High BP got picked after feeling unwell and routine check a few years ago. I take daily medication.

Hello @Greycloudsbrightskies absolutely no need to apologise for the thread worrying me, I think it’s a very helpful thread because a few of us don’t seem to have been told any information - which is really bad. I know exactly what you mean about the sound of the machine- even just the noise of them trundling it towards me sets me off panicking!

Hadn’t been aware of the link. I had preeclampsia which was practically ignored despite several hospital trips (via midwife & gp). I was then allowed to go almost 2 weeks over my due date before being induced. I had my first eclamptic fit whilst giving birth and had 2 more in the next 24 hours.
Other than an apology, I received no real information about future issues, I probably didn’t ask much either, if I’m honest I just felt lucky to be alive.
I was monitored very closely for my second child and induced at 35 weeks when I developed symptoms of preeclampsia.
My children are young adults now. I was diagnosed with a heart condition last year. I’ll definitely raise this at my next appointment.

Hi @Fizzyfishy what a scary experience to have gone through and how terrible that it wasn't picked up and acted on earlier to avoid that for you and your baby.

I didn't have such a scary experience but still had that same feeling of relief that the baby and I were fine after the pre eclampsia, and similarly I think that eclipsed any questions I had about my health beyond the postnatal period. I imagine it's the same for a lot of women who've had pre eclampsia.

If you're happy to share it would be interesting to hear if the cardiology doctors have any more information or insight on the link with pre eclampsia.

Another one with PE pregnancies. My consultant (an expert in this field) said it was a question of when not if I went on BP meds later. It was approximately 12 years after the last of I needed BP meds

I did know if the risks but they not to think about it too much. It is a bummer after the stress of a PE pregnancy and it also bothers me the consequent risk to DC

@Greycloudsbrightskies, happily. I (hopefully) won’t be seeing my consultant for a few months but will let you know if he feels there is any link.

I had pre-eclampsia with my first and only child in 2013. Delivery by c section at 30 weeks, baby had iugr, birth weight 980g, I had to have a platelet infusion to be able to have the c section. It was a horrible experience that I didn't want to repeat, hence only 1 child.

I have read a little bit about elevated risk of kidney disease for women who have had pre-eclampsia. Also the hypothesis that it's an autoimmune disease.

I don't have anything meaningful to add, but it's interesting to read this thread so thank you all.

I had in 3 times 2009/2011/2014
With classic organ failure, liver failure (vomiting blood and fits) and kidney failure versions

I was born eith tiny heart murmer

I was invited to join a US research thinf into it as my female line no history but paternal nan had it twice, then strokes and blood thinners from early 60s (lived to age 90)

After #2 i got underactive thyroid and lipodema plus became gluten intolerant (caeliac is auto immune)

BP is fine but cannot lose 2st (put on 5st #3). Recently told i had fatty kidney - concerned this is start of pre eclampsia related haunting, 13.5y since birth of eldest

Im 39. Its awful how youre just left. Surely we should all be on aspirin or something preventative ?

This is a really interesting thread and I had no idea that PE was associated with other health issues later on. I had PE right at the end of my pregnancy (2015) and was on labetalol for a few months after the birth but I don’t think I was ever told I should have my blood pressure checked thereafter. It was all a bit of a blur though. I think BP has been normal when I’ve had it checked at smears etc since then. I also developed an underactive thyroid a few years ago…

Just updating - thanks to this thread, I went for my first BP check in about a decade - and I have hypertension.

BP was around 150+ over 100+ diastolic - I was always 100/60 in my younger days!

I'm 51.

They've given me a BP monitor home to do readings for a week.

Fully expecting to be on medication & am happy for that - want to be proactive given my family history.

Asked them to check my cholesterol too.

Thanks to OP for starting this thread as it prompted me to go & checked out.

Just to say, I had a high reading like that in clinic so had the 24 hour monitor and it was much lower - like 125/83. So don't worry too much and good that it's being addressed as you say.

I also had pre -eclampsia on 3 of mine. I'm now nearly 60 and I'm on tablets for high blood pressure ' and have been since my early 40s, and cholesterol. I've never made the connection though.

Thank you for this thread.
I had PE in my pregnancies, most severe in my first and on Labetelol for around 6 months after. Like everyone else here I was never told of any possible long term effects of having had PE.
Being honest it does now have me worrying a little and in particular worrying for my DC as my son's heart was flatlining at birth (sheer miracle he survived). However I am so grateful for everyone who has commented on here because I had no idea there are links to future health and you've promoted me to give this some proper practical consideration.
I know I need to lose weight and get fitter but this thread has made me realise I actually need to do something about it. Thank you 🙏

@ProseccoOnIce I'm really really glad that this thread helped you get checked and that you'll start medication if needed.

@Inkypot It does feel worrying but I try to remember that it is better to know than not know. Then we can work to control the other risk factors like lifestyle etc, and be proactive about checking blood pressure and cholesterol.

I actually spoke to my GP recently about this as I'm worried my BP is a bit high still. His opinion was that while there was an increased risk it is not a particularly significant increased risk. To manage the risk he suggested having a lower threshold for starting blood pressure medication or stations for cholesterol.

Meanwhile I'm now a regular hibiscus tea drinker and do breathing exercises daily, both of which (or perhaps neither, who knows!) seemed to have helped lower my blood pressure a bit!

Statins not stations!

I know this thread is quite old. But i just thought to throw my topins worth. My mum had pre eclampsia with me and I had an eclamptic fit with my first pregnancy and pre eclampsia with my second. My mum, in her fifties, had a heart attack.
The weird thing is that no doctors have ever told me about the long term problems having an eclamptic fit can cause.
Isnit worse than pre eclampsia or the same.