Short-Term Postpartum Blood Pressure Self-Management and Long-Term Blood Pressure Control: A Randomized Controlled Trial

• Published in: Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. 1979) Vol. 78; no. 2; pp. 469 - 479
• Main Authors: Kitt, Jamie A., Fox, Rachael L., Cairns, Alexandra E., Mollison, Jill, Burchert, Holger H., Kenworthy, Yvonne, McCourt, Annabelle, Suriano, Katie, Lewandowski, Adam J., Mackillop, Lucy, Tucker, Katherine L., McManus, Richard J., Leeson, Paul
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 01.08.2021
• Subjects: Adult; Blood Pressure - physiology; Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; Female; Humans; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced - physiopathology; Original; Postpartum Period; Pregnancy; Self-Management; postpartum period; hypertension; self-management; pregnancy; women
• ISSN: 0194-911X; 1524-4563; 1524-4563
• DOI: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.120.17101

Women with hypertensive pregnancies are 4× more likely to develop chronic hypertension. Previously, we showed a short period of blood pressure (BP) self-management following hypertensive pregnancy resulted in persistently lower BP after 6 months. We now report the impact on long-term BP control. Women who participated in the postpartum randomized controlled trial, SNAP-HT (Self-Management of Postnatal Hypertension; NCT02333240), were invited for 24-hour ambulatory and clinic BP measures. Height and weight were measured by calibrated scales and standardized tape measures, activity by 7-day wrist-worn accelerometer, and dietary factors assessed by questionnaire. Sixty-one of 70 eligible women were followed up 3.6±0.4 years after their original pregnancy. Twenty-four–hour diastolic BP was 7.0 mm Hg lower in those originally randomized to postpartum BP self-management instead of usual care. This difference remained significant after adjustment for either BP at the time of delivery (−7.4 mm Hg [95% CI, −10.7 to −4.2]; P <0.001) or pregnancy booking BP (−6.9 mm Hg [95% CI, −10.3 to −3.6]; P <0.001). Adjustment for current salt intake, age, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, arm circumference, parity, alcohol intake, and physical activity had no effect on this difference. Reductions in diastolic BP at 6 months, following self-management of BP postpartum, are maintained 3.6 years later as measured by lower 24-hour diastolic BP. Interventions to optimize BP control during the puerperium in women with hypertensive pregnancies improve BP in the longer term, in a cohort at increased risk of developing chronic hypertension and major adverse cardiovascular events.