Pre-eclampsia can affect pregnant woman's heart

Washington: A recent study indicated that pre-eclampsia, a potentially dangerous condition characterised by high blood pressure in pregnant women also have effects on cardiovascular health that may persist well even after pregnancy.

According to the study published in the journal of 'Ultrasound in Medicine,' researcher's analysis included 13 studies that measured cardiac function by transthoracic echocardiography between 6 months and 18 years following a pregnancy complicated by pre-eclampsia.

"Pre-eclampsia is a real-life 'stress test' and the use of transthoracic echocardiography could help us detect early consequences on the heart before women experience symptoms," said co-author Archana Selvakumar Thayaparan.

However, more studies are needed to determine whether long-term cardiovascular screening might benefit women with a history of pre-eclampsia.