Cardiovascular Longitudinal ALSPAC Research Investigations Following Hypertensive Pregnancy in Young Adulthood

Women who develop blood pressure problems during pregnancy are more likely to have high blood pressure (hypertension) in later life as well as heart attacks or strokes. The children born to the pregnancy also tend to have higher blood pressure and are often at increased risk of heart and blood vessel disease later in life. Previous work has shown that children born to pregnancies where the mother has high blood pressure have changes in their blood vessels, heart and brain that can be measured long before they develop high blood pressure or other clinical symptoms. By understanding the pattern of changes cross multiple parts of the body, over a lifetime, the investigators can identify how advanced the underlying disease is for an individual and how their disease is likely to develop over the next few years. The aim of this study is to understand the heart and blood vessel changes of people born to a hypertensive pregnancy once they are in their 20s and 30s. The investigators then hope to use this information to develop new ways to prevent early onset heart and blood vessel disease in these people.