Heart Attacks During Pregnancy: Are You At Risk? Prevention Tips

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Heart attacks during pregnancy are more common than you may think. More than that, women are experiencing more heart attacks while pregnant, after giving birth, or during the first two months following childbirth.

Heart Attack During Pregnancy

A major cause of death during and after pregnancy has been cardiovascular disease. When plaque builds up so large that it completely blocks blood flow to the coronary arteries, which supply the heart with blood, a heart attack occurs. Plaque is a combination of cholesterol and fat in the blood.

Heart attacks are more likely to occur during pregnancy because of coronary artery disease (CAD), which strains the heart [1].

Many people with heart disease are not aware of their disease until they suffer a heart attack or develop high blood pressure or diabetes during pregnancy, which increases their risk of cardiovascular disease [2].

Are You At Risk Of Heart Attack During Pregnancy

The majority of pregnancy-related heart attacks occur during the postpartum period when the heart is still working hard to pump excess blood but the focus has shifted to the health of the newborn.

More than 75 per cent of pregnancy-associated heart attacks occur in women 30 and older.

It is estimated that a woman between the ages of 35 and 39 is five times more likely to experience a heart attack during pregnancy than a woman between the ages of 20 and 29. Women between the ages of 30 and 39 are 10 times more likely to experience a heart attack than women between the ages of 20 and 29 [3].

A number of lifestyle factors may also contribute to an increase in obesity and diabetes, which are known risk factors for heart attacks.

Researchers say that women who had risk factors were most likely to experience a heart attack. However, heart attacks can also occur in otherwise healthy women.

Heart Attack During Pregnancy: How To Prevent It?

There is an 80 per cent chance that heart disease can be prevented by changing one's lifestyle. While this risk increases for some women during pregnancy and childbirth, the underlying reasons remain the same for all women [4].

Managing your risk factors as well as maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be one of the most life-saving strategies not only during pregnancy and childbirth but throughout your lifetime.

It is important to adopt a healthy lifestyle, such as exercising regularly and eating a variety of heart-healthy foods, to reduce the risk of heart disease [5].

On A Final Note...

Heart attacks occur when plaque builds up in the coronary arteries, which supply the heart with blood, to such an extent that it completely blocks the flow of blood to the heart.

It is important to maintain a healthy diet and exercise regularly during your pregnancy.

Talk to your doctor if you are at an increased risk of a heart attack.