Blood pressure patterns observed early in pregnancy can indicate the risk of developing hypertension up to 14 years later, according to a study supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The findings reveal a new risk group among postpartum women who did not experience hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), which includes complications like preeclampsia and gestational hypertension.
The study tracked 174,774 women in Northern California, who were initially free from hypertension and certain other diseases, from 2009 to 2019. Their health records were monitored to identify cases of hypertension up to 14 years post-pregnancy. Six blood pressure trajectory groups were identified, with those maintaining elevated-stable patterns at the highest risk.
"Blood pressure trajectories during early pregnancy can stratify this risk, even for women without HDP," researchers indicated. This could lead to targeted monitoring and interventions, potentially preventing future heart issues.
Published in the journal Hypertension, the study details suggest this risk group requires closer observation post-pregnancy and may improve cardiovascular risk predictions.
The research was supported by NIH's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), under R01 HL145808 and R01 HL145808-02S1. For further details, NIH experts are available for discussions.
NHLBI is renowned for its research in heart, lung, and blood diseases and sleep disorders. Meanwhile, NIH, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, conducts extensive research into various diseases.
The detailed study is cited as Gunderson, EP, et al., Early Pregnancy Blood Pressure Trajectories and Hypertension Years After Pregnancy, in Hypertension, with DOI: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.125.24649.
