Professor Amanda Henry1
1Program Head, Women’s Health at The George Institute for Global Health
Biograpy:
Program Head, Women’s Health at The George Institute for Global Health, Professor of Obstetrics in the Discipline of Women’s Health, School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine and Health, and Clinical Academic/Obstetrician at St George Public Hospital, Sydney.
Professor Amanda Henry is a researcher, educator and obstetric clinician. Her current professional roles are Program Head, Women’s Health at The George Institute for Global Health, Professor of Obstetrics in the Discipline of Women’s Health, School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine and Health, and Clinical Academic/Obstetrician at St George Public Hospital, Sydney. Professor Henry has a particular interest in how pregnancy complications, including hypertensive pregnancy and gestational diabetes, can impact a mother’s ongoing health throughout her life, and leads a program of research in this area. She is also an active researcher and research supervisor in many areas of women’s health including menopause and later life health, digital tools for women’s health, and gendered violence; teaches women’s healthcare to both undergraduate and postgraduate students including as Program Authority of the UNSW Master of Women’s Health Medicine; and advances translation of women’s health research into practice through professional society roles particularly as a Board Director of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG).
Abstract:
At least one of the two major medical pregnancy complications, namely hypertensive disorders (HDP) and gestational diabetes (GDM), are experienced by approximately 20% of pregnant women globally. As well as causing major maternal and fetal/neonatal morbidity and mortality in the short-term, HDP and GDM also result in substantially increased risk of cardiovascular, kidney and metabolic disease, with risk increased within 5 years of affected pregnancy and continuing lifelong.
However, many mothers and their healthcare providers have limited awareness of these risks and postpartum systems of care are poorly set-up to address them. Additionally, the early postpartum years are a time of many competing demands, making it difficult for mothers to prioritise their own health. This means initial opportunities for early intervention and chronic disease prevention are often lost.
This talk will cover how pregnancy gives insights into a woman’s future cardiometabolic health, the specific risks across a woman’s life course associated with pregnancy complications especially HDP and GDM, and the role that healthcare providers can play during midlife and the menopausal transition to assess these risks and reduce their ongoing impact.