Pregnancy complications raise lifelong heart risk, and proactive primary care follow-up helped women act on it

The edition in brief

A qualitative systematic review in the British Journal of General Practice pooled 18 studies of 339 women in high-income countries on changing behaviour to reduce cardiovascular risk after pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes and other adverse pregnancy outcomes. Slow recovery and competing family demands held women back; awareness of their risk, personalised advice and proactive, tailored follow-up helped, especially for minority ethnic and disadvantaged women. A cross-sectional Turkish study of 882 primary care patients found that applying the 2024 ESC categories moved most people below the hypertension threshold into the new elevated blood pressure group, and cut the share of treated patients at target from 53.5% to 30.8%. Interviews with 30 older women with osteoporosis and 31 primary care staff in England found most women unclear about their diagnosis or plan, and clinicians unsure who owned the condition. Interviews with patients, pharmacists and GPs in Manchester found polypharmacy reviews lacked consistent case-finding and a clear purpose, and that deeper problems needed continuity and trust. The pearl covers measuring office blood pressure properly.