Mothers are at higher risk for heart disease and stroke

Infancy increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke

In a scientific study, it has been shown that getting children, in women, significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. The study authors recommend that you control weight gain during pregnancy and then maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Unhealthy lifestyle as a risk factor

Every year more than a quarter of a million people in Germany suffer a stroke and around 280,000 Germans suffer a heart attack. It has long been recognized that factors such as high blood pressure, obesity, physical inactivity, smoking and high alcohol consumption increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Researchers have now found that the risk of the two diseases is higher even in women who have children.

According to a recent study, mothers are at higher risk for heart disease and strokes compared to childless women. (Image: Tomsickova / fotolia.com)

Permanent effects on the cardiovascular system

According to a study by researchers from the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China, women who have children have a 14 percent higher risk of heart disease and stroke compared to childless women.

"The mechanisms underlying the observed associations are complex," says study author Dr. Dongming Wang According to a Communication from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

"Pregnancy can lead to inflammation in the body and accumulation of fat in the abdomen, blood and arteries," the researcher explained.

"These changes can have lasting effects on the cardiovascular system, leading to an increased risk of heart and stroke later in life."

The study results were published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

During pregnancy, the heart is more stressed

It is known that the heart is more stressed during pregnancy because it must ensure the care of mother and fetus.

However, as the ESC communication notes, the effects of pregnancy on the development of later heart disease are controversial.

The authors gathered data from around the world to perform a meta-analysis.

Ten studies involving 3,089,929 women, of which 150,512 had heart disease or stroke, were included.

The risk increases with the number of births

In the overall analysis, there was a significant relationship between childbearing and the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Women born a child were 14 percent more likely to develop heart disease or stroke compared to childless women.

When the researchers linked the risk to the number of births, every birth was associated with a four percent increase in risk regardless of factors such as body mass index (BMI), diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking, and income levels.

Similar associations have been observed for various types of cardiovascular disease, with each live birth associated with a five or three percent higher risk of coronary heart disease or stroke.

Women can do a lot to reduce the risk

"Women should know that children increase their risk of future heart disease or stroke, and that more pregnancies can further increase that risk," Dr. Wang.

"The good news is that women can do a lot to prevent cardiovascular disease," says the study author.

"Pregnancy is a good time to get rid of bad habits," Dr. Wang.

"Stop smoking, exercise regularly, eat healthily, and control weight gain," said the scientist.

"Keep these habits after pregnancy, train more to reduce belly fat, and watch the fat content of your diet to keep blood lipids at a healthy level." (Ad)