Early Pregnancy Blood Pressure Patterns as Predictors of Long-Term Hypertension Risk
Click to start listening
Synopsis
A study highlights that blood pressure patterns in early pregnancy can predict the risk of hypertension up to 14 years after childbirth, even in women without hypertensive disorders, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions.
Key Takeaways
- Early pregnancy blood pressure patterns can predict future hypertension risk.
- Women without HDP showed significant risk variations based on blood pressure trajectories.
- Higher-risk patterns were associated with an 11-fold increase in future hypertension likelihood.
- Targeted monitoring can help avert long-term health issues.
- Study emphasizes the importance of early intervention strategies.
New Delhi, April 3 (NationPress) Patterns of blood pressure recorded during the early stages of pregnancy, even in women without any hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), may serve as indicators for the likelihood of developing hypertension up to 14 years post-delivery, based on a recent study.
High blood pressure is a significant risk factor linked to heart disease, which remains the primary cause of mortality.
Published in the journal Hypertension, this research highlights a cohort of postpartum women who are typically not classified as having a high risk for future hypertension and cardiovascular conditions due to the absence of HDP during their pregnancies.
HDP encompasses severe complications such as preeclampsia and gestational hypertension, both of which are known to elevate the risk of heart disease later in life.
The research team, led by experts from the University of Pittsburgh in the US, discovered that women exhibiting specific blood pressure patterns within the first 20 weeks of pregnancy had a higher likelihood of developing hypertension in the future.
The study tracked 174,774 women who received prenatal care at a non-profit healthcare provider, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, between 2009 and 2019.
All participants were free from hypertension, along with kidney, liver, or heart diseases, and had no prior history of preeclampsia before pregnancy. Researchers monitored their health records for up to 14 years following childbirth to identify new hypertension cases.
The team classified six distinct groups based on blood pressure trajectories, ranging from ultra-low to elevated-stable patterns. Women identified with elevated-stable blood pressure patterns were found to be at the highest risk.
This research indicates that early pregnancy blood pressure trajectories can effectively stratify risk, even for those without HDP.
It was revealed that these blood pressure patterns could distinguish risk levels among women both with and without HDP.
Among the women who did not experience HDP, those with higher-risk blood pressure patterns, including elevated-stable patterns, were found to be 11 times more likely to develop hypertension years later compared to those with less risky blood pressure patterns.
The research team urged the necessity of identifying women at increased risk, advocating for targeted monitoring and early interventions that could potentially avert future heart-related issues.
