Difficulty During Pregnancy Increases Risk of Heart Attack, Cardiovascular Disease in the Future

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As if the harrowing pain and discomfort weren't enough, a difficult pregnancy could also lead to a higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases among women in the long run, according to the American Heart Association or AHA.

"For many mothers, the discomforts experienced with pregnancy are soon a distant memory after they finally hold their newborn in their arms. But for some women who develop serious complications of pregnancy, such as pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes, they have an increased long-term risk of cardiovascular disease, even if the disease doesn't present itself until many years later," wrote US News Health.

It is, therefore, important for both the mothers and the health care providers to have an awareness regarding these long-term risks brought about by pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes during pregnancy. That way, precautionary measures can be taken to prevent the risks of developing cardiovascular disease.

While most people have this wrong notion that heart disease is only common among men, this condition is already the top reason why women in the United States are dying, according to the data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2009 alone, more than 292,000 women, or about 1 in every 4 female, lost their lives because of heart disease.

While there is almost the same number of women dying from this so-called "man's disease," as it is among men, only half of the female population knows that the heart disease is, in fact, the leading cause of their death.

The AHA is doing something about this, and in order to raise the awareness, they created the Go Red For Women campaign, which aims to encourage women to take a stand for their heart health. In line with this, it has declared Friday, Feb. 5, 2016 as the National Wear Red Day and the whole month of February as the Heart Month.

"For heart month - and throughout the whole year - the AHA encourages women to not only wear red but to get their own critical risk numbers for blood pressure, blood cholesterol, blood glucose (sugar) and body mass index; stop smoking; follow a heart-healthy diet; get regular exercise; and discuss their family history with their doctors. These are important tasks for men, too," the US News Health report added.

Preeclampsia is a complication that could arise after the twentieth week of pregnancy wherein the mother could develop elevated blood pressure and also have signs of damage to another organ system, such as the kidneys, according to the Mayo Clinic. While gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy and may cause high blood sugar that can affect your pregnancy and your baby's health.