Long-term follow-up after pre-eclampsia/HELLP syndrome

Women with pre-eclampsia history are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease later in life. As pre-eclampsia is considered a vascular endothelial disease, the current interest in late cardiovascular complications is obvious. Moreover, there is much evidence that pre-eclampsia and cardiovascular disease share many risk factors. In contrast, information is scarce on possible late effects on organs commonly affected in pre-eclampsia/HELLP syndrome and eclampsia such as the kidney, the liver and the brain. Regarding the late psychosocial consequences of pre-eclampsia, there is growing evidence now that severe pre-eclampsia and/or HELLP syndrome may cause severe and long-lasting psychosomatic illness in some women postpartum.