Heart-healthy pregnancy

When Serena Williams was pregnant in 2017, she won the Australian Open, and you can bet her heart was filled with joy — and healthy. That promises good things for her daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. According to a new study in JAMA Network, mom’s heart health while pregnant has a lot to do with her child’s heart health during ages 10 to 14.

The researchers looked at 2,300 future moms’ body mass index, blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose and smoking status during their 28th week of pregnancy. Then, 10 to 14 years later, the scientists evaluated the kids’ cardiovascular health using body mass index, blood pressure and cholesterol and glucose levels. They found kids born to moms with the worst heart health are eight times more likely to suffer heart problems when they’re alarmingly young, compared with kids born to mothers with ideal cardiovascular health.

Unfortunately, previous studies indicate that 90% of pregnant moms have less-thangreat heart health! So if you’re obese, have pre- or full-blown diabetes, high blood pressure, chest pain or atherosclerosis, or had preeclampsia or eclampsia during a prior pregnancy, talk to your doc before you become pregnant about making nutritional upgrades, increasing physical activity and exercise, and getting medical intervention if needed (statins, diabetes meds, weight-loss surgery, etc.).

If you are currently pregnant and have heart-health issues, talk with your doctor about an exercise regimen (it’s safe!), stress management and a food optimization program. For guidelines, go to AmericanPregnancy.org. And check out “A Female Cardiologist’s Advice for Your Heart Health” at DoctorOz.com.

Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune into “The Dr. Oz Show” or visit www.sharecare. com.