Home blood pressure monitors could help mothers significantly lower high blood pressure after pregnancy Lowering a hypertensive mother’s blood pressure within six weeks after giving birth could significantly cut their future risk of a heart attack or stroke, according to research led by Radcliffe Department of Medicine researchers. The research team, based at the Cardiovascular Clinical Research Facility, also found that giving women blood pressure monitors and personalised advice led to lower blood pressure in this critical six-week window, and in the four years that followed.
Professor Paul Leeson, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Radcliffe Department of Medicine,, and a Consultant Cardiologist at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “Current clinical guidelines highlight that women who have had a hypertensive pregnancy are at risk of future heart disease. However, they are not able to give advice on what interventions are available to reduce that risk. Our research has shown that self-monitoring at home can lead to significant improvements in blood pressure after pregnancy in both the short and long-term. “Further research is in progress to understand whether other interventions during this six-week period may also be of benefit. This work should generate the first evidence-based guidance about the best care and support for women after a hypertensive pregnancy to reduce their risk of developing heart and circulatory disease in future.”
Text courtesy of the British Heart Foundation press team. Read the full paper in the journal Hypertension. How long does it take for postpartum high blood pressure to go away?Gestational hypertension and preeclampsia (two common causes of persisting postpartum hypertension) usually resolve by 12 weeks. Beyond this period, clinicians should consider a secondary cause of hypertension, which can be found in up to 10% of cases,2 before establishing a diagnosis of essential chronic hypertension.
Why is my blood pressure still high after delivery?Postpartum preeclampsia is a condition that can happen up to six weeks after your baby is born. This rare condition causes a person to have high blood pressure and high levels of protein in their urine. This is a serious condition that can lead to brain damage, stroke and death if not treated.
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