Transitioning: From Pregnancy to Lifelong Cardiovascular Care

Women who have had certain pregnancy complications have an increased risk of future cardiovascular disease. The first year postpartum is an ideal window of opportunity for cardiovascular risk screening, management, and cardiovascular disease prevention. Recognizing that access to postpartum care can be challenging, particularly for those who live in rural or remote areas, it is the role of the obstetrical care providers to identify the women who are at risk and to initiate discussions about the importance of postpartum blood pressure monitoring and cardiovascular risk screening and to identify who is responsible for both the short-term and longer-term medical follow-up.