Mayo Clinic Minute: What pregnant women need to know about heart health

Pregnancy is a great time to talk about heart health. Women should know that they are at risk for heart disease and that pregnancy is a time of increased risk. They should know what their risks are and address them and talk to their doctor about what should I be doing. Maybe my blood pressure is a little bit high. Maybe I'm on blood pressure medication already. Should I stop it? Switch to a different one? But have that conversation. Dr. Sharon Hayes says by talking about it, women can learn the best ways to stay heart healthy. Making sure that things that you're doing for your heart, like exercise and not smoking and making sure the medications that you're taking and the diet that you're eating are good for baby and for the heart. Pregnancy puts a strain on the heart that most healthy hearts can handle, but that strain may unmask underlying conditions. New diabetes or high blood pressure can occur during a pregnancy and that needs to be monitored or treated. It may have an impact on the baby and it definitely has an impact on a woman's future health. For the Mayo Clinic News Network, I'm Vivian Williams.