In this study, published in the journal "JAMA Network Open", the case of 1.435 women participating in the Framingham Heart Study was analyzed. From 1949 to 2016, this study evaluated the health of participants every two years to determine the natural cause of cardiovascular disease.
169 women had pre-eclampsia before participating and none had had a stroke before enrolling in the study. These women were noted to be more likely to have high blood pressure, smoke, or receive some treatment for high cholesterol.
The mean follow-up was 32 years per individual, verifying that 231 women suffered a stroke. Taking into account traditional vascular risks, independently associated with a 3,8 times higher risk of having a stroke later in life.
Despite this, the researchers acknowledge that much is unknown about the relationship between the two diseases. But these data have raised suspicions that preeclampsia causes more problems in the long term.
Dr. Lauren Theilen, lead author of the study notes that there was misconception about pre-eclampsia. It was thought that it was suffered only during pregnancy and then disappeared. Thanks to these studies it has been proven that causes long-lasting damage to blood vessels.