United States: During pregnancy, the development of complications such as high blood pressure and diabetes increases a woman’s vulnerability to heart disease along with stroke during the following years of her life, as reported by HealthDay.
According to a recent study, their doctors aren’t treating this health risk seriously enough.
Doctors Falling Short on Postpartum Screenings
Studies published in Circulation on February 17 show health screenings apply only to 17% of women who had gestational diabetes or high blood pressure during pregnancy.
At-risk pregnant women received this screening test before their pregnancy only 44% of the time during the first three years after delivery.
Why These Screenings Matter
“Women should be aware of their risk for cardiovascular disease so that they can ask their doctors about risk factor screening,” lead researcher Dr. Amy Yu, a neurologist and senior scientist at the Sunnybrook Research Institute in Ontario, Canada, said in a news release.
“Having this knowledge can also support patients’ decision-making about lifestyle changes, which could improve their vascular health,” she added.
Public health authorities suggest postpartum blood pressure testing, cholesterol evaluation, and blood sugar testing for pregnancy-related diabetes cases to assess long-term heart disease risk.
“There’s increasing evidence that maternal health during pregnancy is associated with long-term vascular health,” Yu said.
The Study: Over One Million Pregnant Women Analyzed
The research team studied medical records of over one million pregnant women across Ontario during the period from 2002 to 2019.
Results indicate that a majority of women remained underscreened for pregnancy risk factors three years after delivery.
The study researchers revealed that screening rates for diabetes and high cholesterol remained low despite pregnancy complications as about 44% of affected patients underwent testing within 3 years, yet only 33% of uncomplicated pregnant women received similar examinations, as reported by HealthDay.
The Role of Family Doctors
Family doctors performed the majority of tests according to findings from the study.
Given that, “strategies to improve screening practices should involve or be led by family doctors,” the research team concluded.