Hypertension in pregnancy Always check blood pressure

Women who have temporarily developed a high blood pressure during pregnancy should have it checked out regularly. Often, high blood pressure during pregnancy is the precursor to a permanent condition. What to look for, explains an expert of the German high pressure league.

Even healthy women can get hypertension during pregnancy. This is not only due to the greater amount of blood that the pregnant woman's heart has to pump through the body and the mother cake. A certain increase in blood pressure is therefore normal. In addition, however, the mother's entire metabolism changes towards mid-pregnancy in ways that can promote the development of diabetes and vascular calcification later in life. In addition to blood pressure, blood sugar and blood lipids also rise.

Hypertension during pregnancy is not rare. (Image: highwaystarz / fotolia.com)

"Pregnancy can be described as a stress test for the circulatory system," says PD. med. Alexander Lammert, expert of the German high-pressure league from Grünstadt. Not all women pass this test. About six percent fall ill during pregnancy with high blood pressure that needs to be treated with medication. "Some have headaches and other symptoms, as well as kidney damage called pre-eclampsia," explains Dr. Lammert. "Then the high blood pressure can also cause organ damage."

Most women recover from hypertension after delivery. Your blood pressure normalizes and you no longer need medication. "The women feel completely healthy and the exertions of pregnancy are quickly forgotten," says the expert. But the situation can deceive: A study of nearly 6,000 women from California found that many women in the first year after birth again have high blood pressure. The researchers found that women in the first year after a high-pressure pregnancy disease are more than twice as likely to develop high blood pressure as other women.

The renewed increase in blood pressure initially causes no complaints. As a rule, the young mothers do not recognize him, especially as their attention turns to other things. "Blood pressure after pregnancy must be taken seriously," warns. Lammert. Previous studies show that this increases the risk of heart attack, stroke and other vascular diseases in the long term. "We therefore advise all women to regularly monitor their blood pressure during pregnancy. In the case of abnormal values, a regular check should be carried out after delivery, "says the expert. Blood sugar and blood lipids should also be checked during a doctor's visit. "Women with a high blood pressure during pregnancy should know that they have a higher risk during pregnancy and should be accompanied by a specialist accordingly." In general, hypertension can be treated well - if it is recognized.