Blood values during pregnancy can indicate an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in the long term. This is shown by an international study led by the University Medical Center Freiburg. Women with elevated levels of the marker sFlt-1 in the last trimester of pregnancy or with gestational hypertension are significantly more likely to develop severe cardiovascular diseases such as stroke or heart failure later on – often around the age of 40.

The results of the long-term study were published on February 18, 2026 in the journal JAMA Cardiology. Researchers from the University Medical Center Freiburg and Danish colleagues were involved. Blood samples from 2,056 pregnant women from a large cohort study in southern Denmark with a total of 38,455 participants were evaluated. The data were linked to health histories over around twelve years. During this period, 28 women suffered a severe cardiovascular disease.

The biomarker sFlt-1 was particularly meaningful in combination with the age of the pregnant woman. This combination allowed a more precise risk assessment than conventional factors such as blood pressure or cholesterol levels alone. Gestational hypertension, which affects six to ten percent of all pregnant women, is considered the most common form of preeclampsia.

As a direct consequence of the study results, the University Medical Center Freiburg has set up a specialized aftercare consultation. It is aimed at women who suffered from high blood pressure during pregnancy – regardless of whether they gave birth there. The consultation offers standardised examinations a few weeks after the birth and after one year in order to identify the need for care at an early stage and to initiate targeted measures.

Pregnancy is a natural stress test for the cardiovascular system, said Prof. Dr. Dirk Westermann, Medical Director of the Department of Cardiology and Angiology at the University Medical Center Freiburg. Early evidence from this phase could significantly improve women’s long-term health, as cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in women.

Dr. Lucas Bacmeister, cardiologist and scientific director of the study, coordinated the new consultation. It was developed in close cooperation with the Clinic for Gynaecology under the direction of Prof. Dr. Ingolf Juhasz-Böss. An accompanying scientific register is intended to continuously optimize aftercare and provide further findings.

Original Paper:

Clinical Factors and Biomarkers During Pregnancy and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease | Cardiology | JAMA Cardiology | JAMA Network

Editor: X-Press Journalistenbüro GbR

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