Pregnancy disorders linked to cardiovascular disease in menopausal women

In an interview with Contemporary OB/GYN, Marie Tan, a fourth-year medical student at Drexel University College of Medicine, discussed a study analyzing the association between pregnancy-related disorders and cardiovascular disease in menopausal women.

The research focused on conditions such as preeclampsia, gestational hypertension, and gestational diabetes, which are known to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in later life. Tan noted a lack of research on these pregnancy disorders in menopausal women, leading her to pursue this topic.

The study was a cross-sectional analysis that used data from a larger investigation known as the Breast Arterial Calcification Study. It involved 380 women aged a mean 81.6 years, primarily from Connecticut. With a 20% retention rate, many participants were lost because of death or lack of follow-up, but the remaining data provided valuable insights. The primary goal of the study was to evaluate whether pregnancy-related conditions are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in menopausal women.

Interestingly, the study found that gestational hypertension, rather than preeclampsia, was significantly associated with cardiovascular disease risk. This finding was unexpected since previous studies and meta-analyses have typically indicated preeclampsia as a stronger predictor of cardiovascular disease. Tan’s study did not show a similar association for either preeclampsia or gestational diabetes.

Tan emphasized the importance of understanding how pregnancy-related factors from decades earlier can continue to influence women's health as they age. With women comprising half of the global population and increasing in longevity, she stressed the need for medical professionals to consider pregnancy-related factors when assessing cardiovascular risk in older women. Given the current lack of research, Tan hopes her study will serve as a foundation for further exploration into how these early life conditions impact menopausal and postmenopausal women's health.