Impact of preeclampsia/eclampsia on hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke risk: A 17 years follow-up nationwide cohort study

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSES: The long-term risk of stroke in women with preeclampsia/eclampsia is a concerning issue. In this study we further investigated different stroke subtypes and differentiated follow-up time intervals. METHODS: Between 2000 and 2017, 1,384,427 pregnant women were registered in the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. After excluding women with previous stroke history and exact matching with all confounders, 6,053 women with preeclampsia/eclampsia and 24,212 controls were included in the analysis sample. RESULTS: Over the 17-year follow-up, the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) for stroke in women with preeclampsia/eclampsia was 2.05 (95% confidence interval, CI = 1.67–2.52, p<0.001). The 17 years overall aHR of both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke were 1.98 and 3.45, respectively (p<0.001). The stroke subtypes, hemorrhagic and ischemic, had different time trend risks, and hemorrhagic stroke risks kept higher than that of ischemic stroke. The aHR of ischemic stroke reached a peak during 1–3 years after childbirth (aHR = 3.09). The aHR of hemorrhagic stroke reached a peak during 3–5 years (aHR = 7.49). CONCLUSIONS: Stroke risk persisted even after decades, for both ischemic and hemorrhagic subtypes. Women with preeclampsia/eclampsia history should be aware of the long-term risk of stroke.