Most women who are diagnosed with pre-eclampsia [PET] had normal blood pressure and no protein in their urine before pregnancy. By six weeks after birth, your blood pressure and protein urinary levels will have usually returned to normal. However, a few women may need tablets to control their blood pressure on a long-term basis, this is one of the reasons that it is important to measure your blood pressure in the weeks after birth.Women who have had PET are more likely than other women to have it again in a future pregnancy, and thus you should seek advice about how to manage this, either at the eight week GP postnatal check, or at a pre-pregnancy appointment. The occurance of hypertension during pregnancy is known to predispose women to hypertension in the future. According to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, based on your diagnosis of hypertension during this pregnancy, there is an approximate 1 in 5 risk of hypertension during future pregnancies. There is also an increased risk that you may develop hypertension or cardiac disease in later life. Please be reassured that you can help reduce this risk by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and body weight and avoid smoking. Please consult your General Practitioner or specialist to see how you can reduce your future risks.If you are known to have chronic hypertension you have:
17% (1 in 7 women) risk of pre-eclampsia in a future pregnancy
1.7 times increased risk of a major adverse cardiac event in later life
1.8 times increased risk of a stroke in later life
If you have pre-eclampsia you have:
20% (1 in 5 women) risk of any hypertension in a future pregnancy
Of these:Up to 16% (1 in 6 women) risk of pre-eclampsia in a future pregnancy:– if this birth was at 28-34 weeks, this is increased to 33% (1 in 3 women)– if this birth was at 34-37 weeks, this is increased to 23% (1 in 4 women)6-12% (up to 1 in 8 women) risk of gestational hypertension in a future pregnancy
2% (up 1 to 50 women) chance of developing chronic hypertension
1.5-3 times increased risk of a major adverse cardiac event in later life
2 times increased risk of a cardiovascular mortality in later life
2-3 times increased risk of a stroke in later life
2-5 times increased risk of developing hypertension
If you have gestational hypertension (high blood pressure with no protein in the urine) you have:
22% (1 in 5 women) risk of any hypertension in a future pregnancy
Of these:7% (1 in 14 women)risk of pre-eclampsia in a future pregnancy11-15% (up to 1 in 7 women) risk of gestational hypertension in a future pregnancy
3% (up 1 to 50 women)chance of developing chronic hypertension
1.5-3 times increased risk of a major adverse cardiac event in later life
2 times increased risk of a cardiovascular mortality in later life
2-4 times increased risk of developing hypertension
Potential increased risk of a stroke in later life
Most women who are diagnosed with pre-eclampsia [PET] had normal blood pressure and no protein in their urine before pregnancy.
By six weeks after birth, your blood pressure and protein urinary levels will have usually returned to normal. However, a few women may need tablets to control their blood pressure on a long-term basis, this is one of the reasons that it is important to measure your blood pressure in the weeks after birth.
Women who have had PET are more likely than other women to have it again in a future pregnancy, and thus you should seek advice about how to manage this, either at the eight week GP postnatal check, or at a pre-pregnancy appointment.
The occurance of hypertension during pregnancy is known to predispose women to hypertension in the future. According to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, based on your diagnosis of hypertension during this pregnancy, there is an approximate 1 in 5 risk of hypertension during future pregnancies. There is also an increased risk that you may develop hypertension or cardiac disease in later life. Please be reassured that you can help reduce this risk by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and body weight and avoid smoking. Please consult your General Practitioner or specialist to see how you can reduce your future risks.
If you are known to have chronic hypertension you have: