Can high blood pressure harm pregnant women’s memory – 15 years later?

DEVELOPING high blood pressure during pregnancy is linked to worse memory years later, a study has found.

Women with hypertension were more likely to score lower on memory tests and thinking skills 15 years after the pregnancy, according to the researchers.

The study involved 596 expectant mothers and in the sample, 480 had normal blood pressure, while 115 develof oped high blood pressure during their pregnancy.

And of the 115 women, 70 per cent had gestational hypertension which is high blood pressure that typically develops after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

The other 30 per cent had preeclampsia – a condition characterised by the onset of high blood pressure plus increased protein levels in the urine and swelling in the legs, feet and hands.

The women took thinking and memory tests 15 years later. These included them being asked to remember a list of 15 words – first right away and then to recall after 20 minutes.

Results, published in the journal Neurology, found that those who developed high blood pressure during pregnancy were more likely to have scored lower on the tests. The biggest difference was seen in the immediate recall quiz, when women had to repeat the 15 words straight away. Those who had normal blood pressure during their pregnancy 15 years earlier scored an average of 28 points out 45. However, the women who had experienced issues with their blood pressure while carrying scored 25 points.

Study author Maria Adank, from the Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam, said: ‘Women with high blood pressure that starts in pregnancy, as well as women with preeclampsia, should be monitored closely after their pregnancy.’

She added: ‘ They and their physicians should consider lifestyle changes and other treatments that may help reduce their risk of decline in their thinking and memory skills later in life.’

She also said it was important to consider gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia as risk factors for cognitive impairment specifically for women. ‘ Many women think of this (high blood pressure) as a temporary issue during pregnancy and not realise it could potentially have long- lasting effects,’ she added.

‘Future studies are needed to determine whether early treatment of high blood pressure can prevent cognitive problems in women with a history of high blood pressure in pregnancy.’

The research does not show a cause- and- effect relationship between the expectant mothers’ high blood pressure and their memory test scores, only an association. And there was no difference in outcome between the two groups of women when tested on dexterity or verbal fluency.