Sisters of women with pregnancy complications face higher risk of cardiovascular disease
Women who have experienced pregnancy complications have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Now, a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in the European Heart Journal shows that sisters of women with complicated pregnancies are also at higher risk
Sisters of women with pregnancy complications face higher risk of cardiovascular diseaseWomen who have experienced pregnancy complications have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Now, a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in the European Heart Journal shows that sisters of women with complicated pregnancies are also at higher risk.
even if they had uncomplicated pregnancies. The findings suggest that genes and shared environmental factors may influence the association between pregnancy complications and cardiovascular disease risk.It is well known that complications during pregnancy, such as high blood pressure and premature labour, increase the risk of cardiovascular disease later in life.
The researchers identified women who had experienced pregnancy complications and their sisters who had given birth during the same period but had not experienced a pregnancy complication. They compared the risk of developing cardiovascular disease for the women with complicated pregnancies, their sisters with uncomplicated pregnancies and an unrelated control group. The study showed that the sisters also had an almost 40 percent higher risk of cardiovascular disease compared to the women in the control group.
The findings suggest that women with pregnancy complications, and their sisters, may benefit from cardiovascular disease prevention interventions.
