Data of women who gave birth between 1970 and 2015 was used in the study, which was published in JAMA Cardiology, a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal covering cardiology.
Results of the study showed that women who gave birth prematurely were 67 per cent more likely to have high blood pressure after a decade.
According to a report on the study published online by dailymail.co.uk, mothers who gave birth as early as 22 weeks are more than twice as likely to get high blood pressure.
But the risk was just 26 per cent for women who gave birth after just over 37 or 38 weeks.
The groups were all compared to women who carried their baby to full-term, between 39 and 41 weeks.
Additionally, women who gave birth late, after 42 weeks, had a 14 per cent lower risk of developing hypertension.
The researchers also found that an elevated risk of hypertension continued for more than 40 years.
They calculated that each additional week of pregnancy, beyond the 22nd week, led to an average of 3 per cent lower risk of hypertension.
But scientists are still unclear as to why women who have premature babies are more prone to hypertension.
However, recent studies have pointed out that premature labour could trigger inflammation of a thin membrane that lines the heart and blood vessels called the endothelium.
Inflammation of endothelium could be a factor contributing to the development of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, the DailyMail report said
Experts say the finding suggests that medics should consider preterm delivery as a life-long risk factor for hypertension in women, and subsequent cardiovascular diseases.
Speaking on the research, Dr. Crump said the findings should change the way medics assess the risk of heart disease in women.
“Cardiovascular risk assessment in women should routinely include reproductive history that covers preterm delivery and other adverse pregnancy outcomes,” he said, adding that, “A history of preterm delivery may help identify women at high risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease potentially long before the onset of these conditions.”
source: HealthWise
