Five things to know:
1. Over the past two decades, the incidence of high blood pressure among pregnant people has significantly increased. A federal study published in June found the percentage of pregnant people with chronic hypertension rose from 1.8% in 2008 to 3.7% in 2021. A separate study found the incidence of new-onset preeclampsia also doubled between 2007 and 2019.
2. An increase in testing may be partly fueling the rise, researchers acknowledge, though maternal mortality rates are also increasing nationwide, with high blood pressure being a leading cause, according to the report.
3. Federal health agencies and national medical associations are working to improve early detection and treatment of the condition. In 2022, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists lowered the threshold for treating high blood pressure during and after pregnancy. The Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health also works with states to implement its Severe Hypertension in Pregnancy Patient Safety Bundle in birthing facilities. The effort is backed by a $3 million grant from the Health Resource and Services Administration.
4. Health systems implementing the guidelines have discovered gaps in knowledge and inconsistencies in blood pressure monitoring among staff members. Efforts are underway to standardize practices and ensure timely treatment, with systems like Bozeman (Mont.) Health aiming to deliver care within one hour of a high blood pressure diagnosis.
5. Health experts said consistent monitoring during and after pregnancy is also essential, as blood pressure can change in as little as a day.
“Blood pressure is one component that we could really have an impact on,” Stephanie Leonard, PhD, an epidemiologist at Stanford (Calif.) University School of Medicine, told KFF Health News. “It’s measurable. It’s treatable.”
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