Increased CV Complications in Postpartum period Linked to Chronic Hypertension

Written By : Jacinthlyn Sylvia |Medically Reviewed By : Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli Published On 2024-01-23T10:00:35+05:30 | Updated On 23 Jan 2024 2:51 PM IST

A retrospective cohort study published in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Green Journal uncovered a previously underestimated risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the postpartum period, the chronic hypertension which significantly heightens the risk of readmission for CVD complications in the year following childbirth.

This research was conducted using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's Nationwide Readmission Database from 2010 to 2018 and involved patients aged 15 to 54 years. This study analyzed data from 27,395,346 delivery hospitalizations which resulted in singleton births. 2.0% individuals out of the 544,639 had chronic hypertension. Also, the rate of CVD hospitalization among the patients with chronic hypertension was 4.7 times higher when compared to the normotensive patients (645 vs. 136 per 100,000 delivery hospitalizations). Adjusted hazard ratios revealed a startling 4.11 times higher risk of CVD complications in those with chronic hypertension.

The heightened risk of CVD complications persisted for a whole year after delivery. Individuals with chronic hypertension were found to face a significantly increased risk even within the first month of postpartum. This highlights the critical need for postpartum monitoring and timely intervention.

These findings underline the urgent need to pay closer attention to individuals with chronic hypertension during and after pregnancy. The study emphasize the importance of implementing robust monitoring mechanisms and timely interventions that can aid in managing blood pressure and reduce related complications in the postpartum period.

This research highlights chronic hypertension in the absence of preeclampsia as a substantial risk factor for CVD in the postpartum. The study advocates for an update in postpartum care by urging the medical community to consider chronic hypertension as a major variable to assess and address cardiovascular risks in the postpartum period.

Reference:

Rosenfeld, E. B., Brandt, J. S., Fields, J. C., Lee, R., Graham, H. L., Sharma, R., & Ananth, C. V. (2023). Chronic Hypertension and the Risk of Readmission for Postpartum Cardiovascular Complications. In Obstetrics & Gynecology (Vol. 142, Issue 6, pp. 1431–1439). Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health). https://doi.org/10.1097/aog.0000000000005424

Obstetrics & Gynecology Green journalchronic hypertensioncardiovascular disease

Source : Obstetrics & Gynecology

Jacinthlyn Sylvia

Neuroscience Masters graduate

Jacinthlyn Sylvia, a Neuroscience Master's graduate from Chennai has worked extensively in deciphering the neurobiology of cognition and motor control in aging. She also has spread-out exposure to Neurosurgery from her Bachelor’s. She is currently involved in active Neuro-Oncology research. She is an upcoming neuroscientist with a fiery passion for writing. Her news cover at Medical Dialogues feature recent discoveries and updates from the healthcare and biomedical research fields. She can be reached at editorial@medicaldialogues.in

Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli

Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751