Preeclampsia and Your Heart: Why Pregnancy Predicts Your Future Cardiac Health

Written By Lora Shahine, MD

Can preeclampsia affect your health long after pregnancy ends? Does high blood pressure during pregnancy increase your future risk of heart disease or stroke? And what can you do now to protect your cardiovascular health?

In this episode of Brave & Curious, Dr. Lora Shahine explains why pregnancy can act like an early stress test for the heart. She breaks down chronic hypertension, gestational hypertension, and preeclampsia, reviews common risk factors, and shares what research reveals about the connection between hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and future cardiovascular disease.

Dr. Shahine also offers practical ways to advocate for better postpartum care, including sharing your pregnancy history with every healthcare provider, getting regular cardiovascular screenings, supporting heart health through nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress management, and making your own long-term wellness a priority.

In this episode you’ll hear:

  • [1:22] Why Preeclampsia Matters

  • [2:50] Hypertension Types Explained

  • [4:28] Risk Factors for Hypertension

  • [5:22] Research Links to Heart Disease

  • [7:30] Postpartum Care Gaps

  • [8:48] Advocacy and Prevention Tips

Dr. Shahine’s Weekly Newsletter on Fertility News and Recommendations

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This episode was produced by Audiotocracy Podcast Production.

Lora Shahine, MD

Dr. Lora Shahine, reproductive endocrinologist at Pacific NW Fertility and Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Washington in Seattle, completed her residency in OBGYN at the University of California in San Francisco and fellowship in reproductive endocrinology at Stanford University. She is dedicated to educating and advocating for increased awareness of infertility, miscarriage, and the impact on environmental toxins on health through an active social media presence, teaching, clinical research, and authoring multiple blogs and books including best selling, ‘Not Broken: An Approachable Guide to Miscarriage and Recurrent Pregnancy Loss.’

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