High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy Linked to Decline in Memory 

A study published in Neurology suggests women who have hypertension during pregnancy (ie, gestational hypertension or pre-eclampsia) may have a higher risk for problems with memory and verbal learning 15 years after pregnancy.

This was a prospective cohort study in which women enrolled early in pregnancy and had cognitive assessments approximately 15 years (range 14.7 to 16.1 years) later. A composite cognitive performance score was derived from component analysis of tests of executive function, processing speed, verbal memory, motor function, and visuospatial processing. Women who had gestational hypertension or pre-eclampsia had a lower mean of cognitive function compared with women who had normotensive pregnancies.  

On a 45-point immediate-recall test, women with hypertension during pregnancy had a mean score of 25 vs 28 in women who had normotensive pregnancy 15 years earlier, a 12% difference, after adjustment for body mass index, education level, and other demographic measures. There were no observed differences between the 2 groups on tests of fine motor skills, verbal fluency, processing speed, and visuospatial ability.

“Women with high blood pressure that starts in pregnancy, as well as women with pre-eclampsia, should be monitored closely after their pregnancy and they and their physicians should consider lifestyle changes and other treatments that may help reduce their risk of decline in their thinking and memory skills later in life,” said study author Maria C. Adank, MD, of Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
  
The study involved 596 pregnant women at the start of the study. A total of 481 pregnant women had normotensive pregnancy and 115 women developed high blood pressure problems during their pregnancy.