Women who have faced complications during pregnancy are at a greater risk for developing cardiovascular diseases. A recent study conducted by researchers at Karolinska Institutet and published in the European Heart Journal reveals that even sisters of women with complicated pregnancies face an increased risk, regardless of their own pregnancy experiences. This suggests that genetic and shared environmental influences may play a role in linking pregnancy complications to cardiovascular disease risk.
It’s widely acknowledged that pregnancy issues, such as hypertension and premature labor, elevate the risk of heart disease later in life. However, the potential familial factors behind this connection remain unclear. To investigate this, researchers carried out a registry study involving Swedish women who gave birth for the first time between 1992 and 2019.
The team pinpointed women who had undergone pregnancy complications and compared them to their sisters, who had healthy pregnancies but gave birth during the same timeframe. They assessed the likelihood of developing cardiovascular diseases among women with pregnancy issues, their siblings with uncomplicated pregnancies, and an unrelated control group. Results indicated that the sisters of those with complications had nearly a 40 percent higher risk of cardiovascular diseases compared to the control group.
Lead author Ängla Mantel from the Department of Medicine at Solna, Karolinska Institutet, states, “Our findings imply that the risk of heart disease following a complicated pregnancy is not solely based on the pregnancy itself, but may also be affected by genetic and environmental elements.”
The study indicates that both women with pregnancy complications and their sisters could benefit from preventive measures against cardiovascular diseases.
“Identifying these women early on could be crucial for providing preventive care for pregnancy issues as well as lifestyle advice and monitoring regarding the risk of cardiovascular diseases,” adds Ängla Mantel.
This research was supported by SFOepi at Karolinska Institutet and the Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation, and there are no reported conflicts of interest.
