BP Patterns In Early Pregnancy Can Predict Hypertension Risk

New Delhi: Blood pressure patterns observed in the first half of pregnancy, even among women without hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), can predict the risk of developing hypertension up to 14 years after giving birth, according to a study.

High blood pressure is a risk factor for heart disease, the leading cause of death.

The study, appearing in the journal Hypertension, focusses on a group of postpartum women who are not currently recognised as being at high risk for future hypertension and cardiovascular disease because they did not develop HDP during pregnancy.

HDP includes serious complications such as preeclampsia and gestational hypertension during pregnancy and is known to increase the risk of heart disease later in life.

The team led by researchers from the University of Pittsburgh, in the US, found that women who showed certain blood pressure patterns during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy were more likely to develop hypertension later in life.

The study followed 174,774 women who received prenatal care at a US-based healthcare non-profit Kaiser Permanente Northern California between 2009 and 2019.

None of these women had hypertension, kidney, liver, or heart disease, or a history of preeclampsia before pregnancy. Researchers tracked their health records up to 14 years after delivery to identify new cases of hypertension.