Having hypertension during pregnancy may affect cardiovascular health for life

Women with a history of preeclampsia or gestational hypertension in pregnancy developed chronic hypertension at a 2- to 3-fold higher rate and had 70 percent and 30 percent higher rates of type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol, respectively, than women who had normal blood pressure in pregnancy. These findings suggest that women with pregnancies complicated by high blood pressure may benefit from cardiovascular screening throughout their lives.