Table 2

Cardiovascular follow-up after a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy

GuidelineYearFollow-up CVD risk
Guidelines with no recommendations regarding cardiovascular follow-up
WHO*2011None
ISSHP-None
Guidelines with no specific timeline recommendations regarding cardiovascular follow-up
ACOG2013 and 2018Women with preterm delivery (<37 weeks) or recurrent pre-eclampsia: annual blood pressure, lipids, fasting glucose and BMI. No recommendation on starting time and which healthcare provider.
RCOG44 2006Inform about increased CVD risk in the future.
SOGC45 2014Assessment of traditional cardiovascular risk markers may be beneficial.
Encourage a healthy diet and lifestyle, especially, for overweight women.
Guidelines with timeline recommendations regarding cardiovascular follow-up
NICE†2017Discuss future CVD risk 6–8 weeks after pregnancy with healthcare provider.
ASA43 2014Consider to evaluate and treat all women with a history of pre-eclampsia for cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension, obesity, smoking and dyslipidemia, starting 6 months to 1 year post partum.
ESC/ESH42 46 2018Annual check of blood pressure and metabolic factors by primary care physician.
SOMANZ47 2014Cardiovascular risk assessment every 5 years.
AHA39 49 2011/2018Postpartum referral by the obstetrician to a primary care physician or cardiologist to monitor and control cardiovascular risk factors.
Consider statin therapy in women with 10-year ASCVD risk of 5%–7.5%.
NVOG50 2014Cardiovascular risk assessment at the age of 50 years.

  • *WHO recommendations for prevention and treatment of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia, 2011.

  • †Hypertension in pregnancy, 2013 (updated 2017).

  • ACOG, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; AHA, American Heart Association; ASA, American Stroke Association; ASCVD, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease; ESC, European Society of Cardiology; ESH, European Society of Hypertension; ISSHP, International Society for the study of Hypertension in Pregnancy; NICE, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence; NVOG, Nederlandse Vereniging voor Obstetrie en Gynaecologie; RCOG, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists; SOGC, Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada; SOMANZ, Society of Obstetric Medicine Australia and New Zealand.