During your prime years, you’re less likely to have artery-clogging cholesterol buildup, thanks to plentiful amounts of estrogen. This powerful hormone helps keep arteries flexible and blood cholesterol levels low.
Still, if during pregnancy you develop high blood pressure, preeclampsia (pregnancy-induced high blood pressure), or gestational diabetes (pregnancy-related diabetes), or if you give birth preterm (before 37 weeks), then you’re at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease later in life. “Having preeclampsia shows that there is twice the risk of developing heart attack, stroke, or blood clots within 5 to 15 years after pregnancy,” Dr. Oen-Hsiao says.
If you had gestational diabetes, you have a 50 percent chance of later developing type 2 diabetes, which can also increase the risk of heart attack.
While preeclampsia or other pregnancy complications don’t guarantee heart problems later in life, Dr. Jellis says it’s good to know if you are part of a group that should be more proactive about your heart health.
What to Do Now
See a primary care physician. If you developed high blood pressure, preeclampsia, or gestational diabetes, or if you gave birth preterm, see a primary care physician after your baby is born, not just an ob-gyn. You may even want to see a cardiologist.
Even if you have never been pregnant, “everyone should have a primary care physician or provider, someone who they check in with on a regular basis, so that they are updated with the latest data and evidence as to what they should be doing,” Jellis says.
Eat to beat heart disease. Jellis suggests eating a Mediterranean-style diet, which is loaded with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein such as fish, and healthy unsaturated fats like olive oil. Since you’ve got time on your side, developing healthy lifelong eating habits in your twenties and thirties can help keep your arteries clear.
Fit in fitness. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise each week. They also suggest adding weight training to your fitness routine. “We don’t have to take up powerlifting,” says Jellis, “but there is good data to show that resistance or strength training is important and is something that a woman can integrate early in her life.”
Give up harmful habits. Before it becomes a lifelong habit, quit smoking and keep drinking to a minimum — to no more than one drink a day, recommends the AHA.