Photo has been used for illustrative purposes.

Mariecar Jara-Puyod, Senior Reporter

Pregnancy-induced disorders and the menopause-associated hot flashes and night sweats have been discovered to be strongly-linked with each other aside from their known co-relation with cardiovascular diseases. Pregnancy-induced disorders also lead to bothersome or more hellish than usual hot flashes and night sweats.

These conclusions were derived from the analytical study on the May 2015 to September 2019 health issues and concerns of 2,684 employed and majority Caucasian women in the US.

The medical research team is now urging for more care, monitoring and empowerment for and by expectant mothers, specifically those who had suffered or are suffering from gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia. Gestational hypertension occurs after 20 weeks of pregnancy with the blood pressure registering at 140/90 which leads to pre-eclampsia, poor foetal growth and worst, maternal death and stillbirth. Pre-eclampsia damages the liver, kidney, lungs and eyes.

The lead medical specialist-researcher-author is Mayo Clinic-Centre for Women’s Health Director (Rochester, Minnesota) director Dr. Stephanie Faubion email interviewed by Gulf Today, after receipt of a brief on the “Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy and Menopausal Disorders: A Cross-Study from the Data Registry on Experiences of Aging, Menopause and Sexuality.”

Faubion said the team reviewed and analysed data from two other Mayo Clinics in Minnesota and Arizona: “We know that hot flashes and night sweats (caused by the dilation and constriction of blood vessels pre-menopause) are associated with cardiovascular risk in some women and that hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are associated with cardiovascular risk. We wanted to know the link between these two cardiovascular risk factors in women. We did not have a lot of data on it.”

The team recommended that subsequent confirmatory studies be executed for much better cardiovascular prediction models for women leading to more apt preventive measures.

“Women and their healthcare providers need to understand that something that happened years ago (hypertensive/gestational pregnancy) may put them at a higher risk for heart disease, the number one killer of women,” Faubion also wrote, adding that the severity of night sweats and hot flashes for women who had these pregnancy-induced disorders may also predict future heart disease for some.

Faubion said women must be made aware of these health conditions which make it more fundamental that they are taught and encouraged to lead a healthy lifestyle conscious and concerned about their blood pressure, blood sugar, lipids, body mass index, maintaining normal weight, exercising, and avoiding tobacco and similar products.