Women who experience high blood pressure during pregnancy are at an increased risk of suffering high blood pressure up to 40 years later, which in turn increases their risk of heart disease, a new study suggests.

Swedish scientists looked at 105 women who had given birth in the 1970s. Half of the women had high blood pressure during pregnancy, while the other half had normal blood pressure.

The study found that those with high blood pressure during pregnancy were more often diagnosed with high blood pressure later in life - even 40 years later. These women also showed signs of hardening of the arteries and their blood sugar balance was not at its optimum level.

"We can see that even a minor increase in blood pressure can be connected to some deterioration in the heart's structure and function in these women. Together, these findings can partly explain the increased risk of cardiovascular disease," the scientists from the university of Gothenburg explained.
They encouraged women who have high blood pressure during pregnancy to work to regain normal blood pressure after the birth.

"This is about being physically active and avoiding overweight, for example. It is also important to have accurate and regular blood pressure check-ups," they said.

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