According to a recent study, women who give birth to twins have a far higher chance of acquiring heart disease in the future than women who give birth to a single child. The study sheds light on the long-term health consequences for mothers by underlining a concerning link between twin pregnancies and cardiovascular health. Compared to singletons, twin pregnancies may be more susceptible to cardiovascular problems due to increased cardiovascular demand, especially in individuals with hypertensive disease of pregnancy (HDP).
Even if they do not have a pregnancy complicated by high blood pressure disorders like pre-eclampsia, women with twin pregnancies should be aware of the short-term increase in cardiovascular diseases in the first year after delivery. Twin pregnancies put more strain on the mother's heart than singleton pregnancies do, and it takes weeks for the mother's heart to recover to its pre-pregnancy condition.
Data from 36 hospital deliveries in the US between 2010 and 2020 were analysed by researchers for the study. According to the findings, readmissions for cardiovascular disease within a year of giving birth were more common among women with twin pregnancies (1105.4 per 100,000 deliveries) than among women with singleton pregnancies (734.1 per 100,000 deliveries).
Women who gave birth to twins were eight times more likely to have excessive blood pressure during pregnancy. However the study also found that one year after birth, when compared to mothers with twin pregnancies and high blood pressure, those with singleton pregnancies and high blood pressure had a higher risk of dying from any reason, including heart disease.
The researchers have underlined that patients receiving fertility treatments should be made aware that twin pregnancies may increase the short-term risk of heart-related complications, especially if they are elderly or have health issues like diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, or heart disease. Additionally, they advocate greater postpartum surveillance in twin pregnancies and proper pre-conception counselling for those with cardiovascular risk factors receiving infertility therapy, which raises the likelihood of multi-foetal gestation.
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