Hyper Mom

With hypertension being ranked as one of the top obstetric complications hyper mom faced by women all over the world, it is essential to keep a tight watch on its insidious rise. Here’s a closer look at the key BP raiser

- Rajashree Balaram

LAST YEAR, the findings of a long-running research programme conducted by the University of Southern California’s Department of Gerontology concluded that men possess hearts that wear out more quickly than those of women. Before we women get cheeky and retort ‘You don’t need research to reveal that’, it would be a little sobering to know that it is the cholesterol dynamics in our bodies that plays a significant role in snagging this score—higher levels of estrogen in premenopausal women have been found to increase levels of high-density lipoproteins, known as good cholesterol, which offers protection against heart disease. However, at odds with this advantage is the recent announcement by the World Heart Federation that cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women, accounting for one third of all premature deaths in women globally. The Federation also pointed out that women are mostly under-diagnosed and under-treated when it comes to management of heart diseases, as the progression and outcome of these ailments are less understood in women than men.

With World Heart Day around the corner—September 29—there are many investigative projects being flagged off in research institutions worldwide to study the reasons behind the growing number of cardiovascular ailments in women. One of the focus areas is also the rapid rise of cases of hypertension among pregnant women. Let’s take a look at some of the causes which can make you more vulnerable to hypertension when you are on your way to 24/7 mommyhood.

maternal age