Predicting Persistent Hypertension in Women with Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are a common cause of maternal morbidity and are associated with future development of chronic hypertension. In a longitudinal study, investigators assessed the effectiveness of peripartum screening using blood pressure assessment and transthoracic echocardiogram for predicting development of persistent hypertension (blood pressure ≥140/90 mm Hg or use of antihypertensive medication), evaluated at a postpartum evaluation more than 3 months after pregnancy.

At a median postpartum follow-up of 124 days, 33% of women were still hypertensive. Factors associated with persistent hypertension were Afro-Caribbean ethnicity (27%; compared with 8% among normotensive women) and older age (36 vs. 33 years), as w…