Study: More postpartum blood pressure monitoring programs needed

Postpartum blood pressure monitoring programs are crucial to improve maternal health for people with a new-onset hypertensive disorder during pregnancy, a study found. Published last week in JAMA Cardiology, the study found persistent and severe hypertension after hospital discharge for individuals with an onset of hypertensive disorder during pregnancy, such as preeclampsia or gestational hypertension. More than 81% of the 2,705 postpartum individuals with a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy in the cohort study who were enrolled in a remote blood pressure monitoring program continued to have ongoing high blood pressure after leaving the hospital. These individuals were more likely to return to the emergency department and be admitted, compared with individuals with normal blood pressure, the study found. (JAMA Cardiology article, 6/12/24)