Pre-eclampsia mums must be told of cardiovascular risks, says expert

A serious pregnancy illness which affects one in 15 mothers could be the gateway to cardiovascular disease, a leading doctor warns.

Dr Rebecca Wheater, a GP with an interest in cardiology and respiratory medicine, is urging everyone involved in the care of mothers who have had pre-eclampsia to be aware of the lifelong risk of heart attacks, strokes and other major health issues.

The Angus doctor, who is honorary secretary of Scottish Heart and Arterial disease Risk disease Prevention (SHARP), makes the warning in the British Journal of General Practice (BJGP).

She said: “All mothers who have had pre-eclampsia in pregnancy should be informed of the long-term risks of cardiovascular disease. Midwives and GPs should also be alerted if we are to lessen the risk of heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, kidney failure and other serious medical events.”

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She also wants six-week post-birth checks for diabetes in those mums, and warned that pregnancy is effectively a cardiovascular stress test.

Dr Wheater said: “Pre-eclampsia is known to predispose women to later hypertension (high blood pressure), ischaemic heart disease and stroke and with this risk persisting beyond their childbearing years.

“It also puts women at an increased risk of diabetes.”

That carries the risk of kidney failure, heart attacks, strokes and blindness.

She cites the National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidelines which says pre-eclampsia women should discuss long-term cardiovascular risks with their doctors.

“We cannot plead ignorance of the long-term effects of hypertension in pregnancy,” she said.

“We need to start joining the dots.”

Emeritus Professor James Walker, a UK leading specialist in hypertension in pregnancy and its long-term effects, also backs calls for women who have had pre-eclampsia to be monitored for further health conditions.

He advocates for them to submit regular health information to their GP or health board.

He said: “Women who have had PE should be given a phone app which allows them to send recordings of their blood pressure, weight and exercise to a hospital screening portal to spot a risk of serious illness.”

Mum Lynsey Gates is backing lifelong vigilance for pre-eclampsia mums.

She suffered organ failure in a serious illness called HELLP while pregnant with her daughter Esme five years ago.

She was monitored closely while pregnant with her son Caden, and given aspirin to control it.

Lynsey 42, who works in adult education, said: “Lifelong monitoring by GPs is so important if we are to maintain good health as we grow older.

“I was not informed of the risks pre-eclampsia posed in later life I know some women are having to inform their GPs of the need to monitor women.”

© Andrew Cawley

The Sunday Post successfully campaigned with charity Action on Pre-eclampsia, to get the Scottish Government to fund a PlGF test to identify mothers at risk.

The test had been approved by the Scottish Health Technologies Group but health boards were slow to implement it.

Today, at least eight out of 14 health boards offer the test to mothers thought to be at risk.

The Scottish Government said: “The Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors programme is working to improve the identification and management of cardiovascular risk factors.”