{"id":56795,"date":"2025-08-10T10:10:07","date_gmt":"2025-08-10T10:10:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/56795\/"},"modified":"2025-08-10T10:10:07","modified_gmt":"2025-08-10T10:10:07","slug":"chances-of-a-stroke-before-age-50-may-be-higher-in-women-who-have-had-high-risk-complications-in-pregnancy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/56795\/","title":{"rendered":"Chances of a stroke before age 50 may be higher in women who have had high-risk complications in pregnancy"},"content":{"rendered":"

By MEIKE LEONARD FOR THE MAIL ON SUNDAY <\/p>\n

Published: 00:55 BST, 10 August 2025 | Updated: 00:55 BST, 10 August 2025 <\/p>\n

Women who had complicated pregnancies could be more likely to have an early stroke, a study has found.<\/p>\n

High-risk complications during pregnancy is relatively uncommon in the UK \u2013 affecting just up to 10 per cent.\u00a0<\/p>\n

However, figures show those who are impacted may be more likely to experience a stroke before the age of 50.<\/p>\n

Researchers in the Netherlands<\/a> examined a sample of more than 1,000 women between the ages of 18 and 49, who had been pregnant at least once before.\u00a0<\/p>\n

They looked at how often certain pregnancy complications had occurred in those who had strokes.<\/p>\n

These included pre-eclampsia \u2013 high blood pressure during pregnancy \u2013 pre-term birth before 37 weeks, babies born small for their gestational age, gestational diabetes<\/a>, miscarriage and stillbirth.<\/p>\n

\"Women <\/p>\n

\u00a0Women who had complicated pregnancies could be more likely to have an early stroke, a study has found. Pictured:\u00a0Stroke Illustration<\/p>\n

Women who had a stroke were found to be more than twice as likely to have gone through at least one pregnancy complication, while those who had previously had a stillbirth were at the highest risk of stroke, estimated to be five times more likely.<\/p>\n

Complications such as pre-eclampsia and pre-term birth were associated with strokes linked to large artery disease \u2013 often caused by a build-up of fatty deposits.<\/p>\n

‘Doctors should ask about pregnancy history when assessing stroke risk,’ said the study’s lead author Dr Frank-Erik de Leeuw, a professor in cerebrovascular disease at Radboud University.<\/p>\n

‘Our study suggests we may need to start thinking about cardiovascular prevention earlier in life \u2013 not just after menopause.<\/p>\n

‘Future studies should investigate the effects of lifestyle modification aimed at reducing cardiovascular risk in women with pregnancy complications.’<\/p>\n

Previous research has shown that pregnancy itself can increase a woman’s stroke risk by increasing blood volume, changing blood clotting factors and altering the elasticity of her blood vessels \u2013 with the highest risk occurring in the six weeks after delivery.<\/p>\n

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