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“We noticed that strokes occur more frequently in women than in men,” explains Professor Dr. Frank-Erik de Leeuw. “That’s why pregnancy offered a potential starting point.” It has long been known that pregnancy complications increase the risk of cardiovascular disease later in life. “But that younger women are at increased risk was not yet clear.”
The Hard Numbers: What the Research Reveals
The research team followed large groups of women who had experienced a stroke at a young age. “Women in this group were asked about their pregnancies and any complications,” says De Leeuw. “We then compared the results with a control group of healthy women without stroke.”
The result was clear and shocking. “About half of the women with an early stroke had experienced complications during their pregnancy,” says De Leeuw. “In comparison, this was about one-third for women without stroke.” This isn’t a small group; it’s a very significant link.
Why Pregnancy is a ‘Stress Test’ for Your Vessels
But how exactly does this connection work? According to De Leeuw, we need to view pregnancy as a kind of ‘stress test’ for the body, and specifically for the blood vessels.
“Women who have had pregnancy complications show early signs of atherosclerosis. Their blood vessels are therefore more vulnerable,” he explains. Complications such as high blood pressure (pre-eclampsia), pregnancy poisoning, gestational diabetes, or even multiple miscarriages are not isolated problems. They are signals that the vascular system struggled with the ‘stress test.’ “Especially complications that indicate vulnerable blood vessels, such as high blood pressure or protein loss, are significant.”
This underlying vulnerability persists after pregnancy and increases the risk of stroke at a much younger age than previously thought. “Often, people think that heart and vascular problems only occur decades after pregnancy, but our study shows that there is a group that develops complaints much earlier,” says De Leeuw.
Your Pregnancy as a Blueprint
This research changes the way we need to look at women’s health. Your pregnancy is more than a past period; it’s an important blueprint that provides valuable information about your future health risks. Seeing complications as an early warning signal is the crucial first step. But what can you do with this knowledge?
Read this article to learn about concrete steps you can take to reduce your risk: What you can do after pregnancy complications to reduce your risk of stroke – according to a neurologist.
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- Frank- Erik de Leeuw, Merel de Backer
- Canva
