Hypertension during pregnancy increased risks to future stroke

A new study presented at the Canadian Stroke Congress proves that hypertension in pregnant women might lead to increased risk of stroke. This study was conducted by Dr. Aravind Ganesh, a neurology resident at the University of Calgary, in collaboration with Neha Sarna, medical student, Dr. Rahul Mehta, internal medicine resident and senior author Dr. Eric Smith, stroke neurologist. The study involved women from 1 to 32 years after pregnancy who had hypertension during pregnancy. The results of this study highlight that women with a history of hypertension during pregnancy have higher risk to future stroke. And unfortunately, hypertension is one of the most commonly met problems during pregnancy. According to Dr. Ganesh, pregnant women with hypertension should have their cholesterol level and blood pressure maintained under control and under continuous monitoring. “Hypertension is the most important risk factor for stroke”, said Dr. Michael Hill, co-chair of the Canadian Stroke Congress. “Knowing your blood pressure may be one of the most important steps you can take to reducing stroke risk, something that is particularly true among women with a history of pregnancy-associated hypertension”. Ian Joiner, director of stroke at the Heart and Stroke Foundation is also talking about this issue at the Canadian Stroke Congress.