Pregnancy-related high blood pressure can have life-changing consequences for mothers and babies, which is why the Office on Women’s Health (OWH) remains committed to improving blood pressure control in women of childbearing age.
High blood pressure or hypertension is a health problem that women of reproductive age face now more than ever. This is shown by new research pre-pregnancy high blood pressure rates nearly doubled between 2007 and 2018. The observed increase occurred across the spectrum – from women aged 15 to 44 living in rural and urban areas.
The good news: Women of reproductive age can start taking steps—often simple and inexpensive—to reduce and monitor blood pressure, thereby improving their own health and the health of their future children.
For example, while you may be used to seeing older women take aspirin, a low-dose version of it may also benefit some younger women. Since 2014 has US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) have recommended the use of low-dose aspirin (81 mg/d) as a preventive medication for women who are 12 weeks or more pregnant and at high risk of preeclampsiawhich is pregnancy-related high blood pressure. The USPSTF is currently review of the latest research to determine whether the prenatal aspirin guideline should be updated.
Another way to reduce the risk of preeclampsia: increase your physical activity. To get started on your routine, check out the updated one Move your way Activity Planner with new content developed by OWH and the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) for pregnant or postpartum women.
If you or someone you know is at high risk for preeclampsia, talk to a doctor about what you can do to lower your blood pressure. Knowing how to communicate your symptoms to your doctor can be the difference between life and death, says Kim Smith, who survived a severe form of preeclampsia known as HELLP syndrome.
On a peaceful and quiet Sunday evening nine years ago, Smith suddenly became very ill with severe pain in the upper right side of his stomach. She was 5 months pregnant, so she and her husband rushed to the local emergency room. When they arrived, the first ultrasound showed their daughter’s heartbeat was weak, and by the second ultrasound, she was gone.
“What I didn’t realize at the time was that I wasn’t out of the woods yet,” Smith recalls. “You see mine blood pressure topped out at 200 over 100, I could have had a stroke.”
In the weeks after she lost the baby, Smith went back to the hospital twice with high blood pressure. By working with her doctors to improve her heart health — reducing stress at work, improving her diet and taking low-dose “baby” aspirin — she lowered her blood pressure to that of a teenager. A year later, Smith was pregnant with the eldest of her three healthy sons.
Today as a lawyer and Preeclampsia Foundation Board Chair, Smith says, “I want women to know my story, but it doesn’t have to be theirs. My goal is not to sow seeds of fear, but to empower them.”
Under Heart monthSmith’s words remind us that the majority of pregnancy-related deaths are be prevented. While we may not fully understand what causes more women to experience high blood pressure, that doesn’t mean we can’t fight the rise. To that end, our office recently launched a national prize competition to identify programs that provide effective monitoring and follow-up for patients with hypertension. The goal: Expand and replicate successful programs to positively impact pregnant and postpartum women.
While this national effort is underway, remember the simple steps each of us can take today, regardless of age. We can make a note to talk to our doctors about blood pressure monitoring—it could be a conversation that prevents a life-changing health complication.
