FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – According to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, cardiovascular disease is now the leading cause of death in pregnant women in the U.S. but many are unaware of their risk factors.
Over the years, 38 year old Khiyana Brown has had difficult pregnancies.
“Each pregnancy I had to be monitored really closely with a prenatal specialist really monitor my pressures and I adapted my diet and my lifestyle to help to sustain the pregnancy and possibly save my life,” she said.
Brown is among between six and eight percent of women who develop pregnancy induced hypertension.
While dangerous in and of itself, Broward Health heart failure specialist Dr. Yordanka Reyna said it can lead to preeclampsia, which can affect other organs
“It can affect the lungs, cause fluid in the lungs, it can affect the kidneys, the liver and it makes the other organs inflamed or dysfunctional,” she said.
While in many cases the condition goes away after birth, Reyna says there are cases like Brown’s where it can lead to persistent, long term hypertension, which elevates the risk of other complications.
“They have to be aware that this puts them at higher risk of developing heart disease actually it increases the risk of heart disease and stroke by two fold,” Reyna said.
Brown will always been on blood pressure medication and needs to closely monitor her blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
“When I look at my kids I’m just grateful, I’m so grateful that I didn’t give up and that I had the right team of people, providers, family, that supported and encouraged me along the way each time,” she said.
African American women are at higher risk of developing pregnancy induced hypertension due to genetics, sensitivity to salt, weight, and diabetes, which is higher in the black community.