Did you know that high blood pressure during pregnancy is very highly correlated with heart disease later in life? I didn’t either, until after my heart attack. Not sure the ER doctors or possibly even the cardiologist I first saw that day were aware of this critical risk factor.

When I was pregnant with my first son, I got very ill with HELLP syndrome, sometimes characterized as an extreme form of preeclampsia. Ten years later, I had my first heart attack. It never once occurred to me that they were related.

I’ve since been particularly passionate about sharing this message — and encouraging heart disease risk factor discussions with OB/GYNs, the doctor a woman is most likely to see throughout her life. Please watch this video and share the news.