KC woman's pregnancy complication affected her later in life

Hypertension is the leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease worldwide. Research shows cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women.

This sheds a light on the importance of heart health, especially in women.

One Kansas City woman experienced this in the most critical way.

Shelle Johnson was diagnosed with HELLP syndrome during her first pregnancy. It's a rare pregnancy complication that affects the blood and liver. She was in a hospital's intensive care unit for days.

"I really thought I was going to die. Truly,” she said. “When I went into labor, I had protein in my urine, which indicated that there was an issue and I had the baby, but then my body basically collapsed.”

Shelle recovered. But

But after several healthy decades, she learned she had high blood pressure.

“I had always been a healthy person, but I took it for granted, like I think most young people do. You feel a little invincible,” she said.

Shelle Jensen has always enjoyed her life because she knows how precious time is.

It’s why she turned to Dr. Tracy Stevens for help.

"Heart attack and stroke is the number one health threat to women,” Dr. Stevens said. “It kills more women than men every year, and kills more women than all forms of cancer combined."

Dr. Stevens linked Shelle's high blood pressure back to her fight with HELLP decades earlier. Dr. Stevens is the medical director of the Muriel Kauffman Women's Heart Center at St. Luke's Health System in Kansas City.

"The way we treat women in heart conditions is based on research in middle-aged men,” she said. “The questions are far greater than the answers we have for women's heart conditions, especially those conditions that are unique to women.”

Dr. Stevens encourages all women to check their blood pressure and conduct a self breast exam on the 15th of each month. She also said women should ensure their cholesterol and blood sugar are both normal, too.

A sweet twist to the relationship between Shelle and Dr. Stevens is that they've been friends for decades.

"We've known each other for 40 years. We were sorority sisters at Mizzou and share a lot of great memories,” Dr. Stevens said.

It's why Shelle and Dr. Stevens want to help every woman enjoy life to the fullest just like they do.