Washington, DC – Blood pressure that stays elevated over time – also known as malignant hip injury – has been linked to heart disease, which is a leading cause of death in the United States. Recent research has shown that persistent hypertension may increase the risk for stroke and overall mortality. However, only about 1 in 4 adults with a major allergic reaction to the condition is under control, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In a new study presented today at the annual meeting of the Society of Mother-Feetal Medicine (SMFM), The Pregnant Meeting ™, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh will reveal findings that show development of high blood pressure during pregnancy and subsequent postpartum elevated blood pressure is at greater risk for developing malignant hypertension.
The study looked at 368 women who had normal blood pressure during pregnancy and followed them for six to 18 months after delivery. For six weeks after childbirth, women took their blood pressure at home using a remote monitoring system connected to their smartphones. 5,958 blood pressure readings were collected.
Results found that, at their first postpartum visit, nearly half of the women (49.5 percent or 182) had developed high blood pressure. These women had a slower decline in blood pressure in the first six weeks after delivery and higher blood pressure at their postpartum visit compared with the remaining women (50.5 percent or 186) who did not to develop high blood pressure.
“By extracting data from the large-scale postpartum remote monitoring program, we were able to determine that a woman’s blood pressure in the first six weeks after childbirth appears to be a symptom. important whether it is likely to develop malignant hypertension six to 18 months later, ”said one of the study’s lead authors, Eesha Dave, MD, a resident physician in obstetrics and gynecology at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh.
“This information helps us to identify women who may be at risk of developing cardiovascular problems later in life and take protective measures,” said another lead author of the study, Alisse Hauspurg, MD , maternal-fetal medicine associate and assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh.
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In SMFM
The Society for Maternal-Feetal Medicine (SMFM) is a nonprofit membership organization based in Washington, DC. With more than 5,000 physicians, scientists, and women’s health professionals worldwide, the Society supports the clinical practice of maternal-fetal medicine by providing education, encouraging research, and engages in a claim to the health of at-risk pregnant women and their babies. SMFM holds an annual scientific meeting where new ideas and research related to high-risk pregnancy are published and discussed. For more information, visit SMFM.org and connect with the group on Facebook and Twitter. For the latest news and updates at the 2021 AGM, follow the hashtag # smfm21.
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