Linking Pregnancy History to Cardiovascular Risk

Research from the Child Health and Development Studies showed some combinations of pregnancy complications were associated with as much as a 7-fold increase in risk of cardiovascular disease death overall. Other combinations were associated with a 4- to 5-fold higher risk of dying of cardiovascular disease early, before the age of 60. It’s the most extensive study of its kind, following 15,000 women over fifty years, and means that many doctors could be screening—and intervening early—for cardiovascular risk simply by looking at a woman’s pregnancy history.