Pre-eclampsia as a predictor of early-onset cardiovascular impairment among young women (PREECARDIA study): protocol for a prospective cohort study.

Introduction: Pre-eclampsia is a pregnancy-related complication estimated to affect up to 8% of pregnancies worldwide. It is associated with an increased risk of postpartum sustained hypertension, coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral arterial disease and cardiovascular-related mortality. Nevertheless, these associations have seldom been addressed in younger women from sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).