Hypertension during pregnancy: figures have increased 75% since 1970 in the United States

Researchers at Rutgers Medical School Robert Wood Johnson (New Jersey) developed a cross-sectional study using data on pregnancies of 151 million American women followed between 1970 and 2010.

In measuring the evolution of hypertension at home, they examined the association of hypertension with obesity and tobacco. Researchers also looked at how maternal age, year of birth, and ethnicity could affect the risk of hypertension.

The results, published in the journal Hypertension, show that the prevalence of hypertension in pregnant American women has increased by more than 75% since 1970, with an average annual increase of 6%. African-American women would be more exposed. Lead author Cande V. Ananth and her team also observe a difference in the prevalence of pre-eclampsia, pre-gestational diabetes, gestational diabetes, premature births and perinatal mortality, each time at a disadvantage African-American mothers.

This dramatic evolution is explained by the advancement of gestational age (5 years compared to 1970) and, to a lesser extent, by the increasing exposure to risk factors such as smoking and obesity.

It is unlikely that a decrease in the age of pregnancy will be observed. For Ananth, for example, it is up to women to change certain aspects of their lifestyle in order to reduce the risk of hypertension, which will prevent complications.

"Women need better control of their blood pressure before and during pregnancy, and smoking cessation, weight control, behavioral changes, and treatment for high blood pressure are all modifiable factors and can lead to healthier lifestyle, "says Ananth.

"These findings relate to the health of women and their babies during pregnancy but also have implications for the risk of stroke and heart attack in women later in life." Monitor hypertension before and during pregnancy and take measures to control it and reduce it is essential, "concludes the researcher.