Abstract

Introduction: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, associations between subclinical blood pressure (BP) elevations in pregnancy and CVD risk are unknown. Aims: To identify BP patterns during pregnancy among individuals without HDP and determine their association with long-term CVD risk and hypertension (HTN) 2-7 years after delivery. Methods: We included nulliparous individuals from the prospective, multicenter nuMoM2b Study Heart Health Study (nuMoM2b-HHS) who had > 1 BP from each trimester, and excluded those with chronic HTN or HDP. We modeled patterns using group-based trajectory analysis of the mid-BP (average of systolic and diastolic BP) during pregnancy. We selected the final number of groups based on the Bayesian Information Criteria. At 2-7 years after delivery, 30-year predicted CVD risk was estimated using the Framingham risk score; incident HTN was defined as BP > 130/80. Generalized linear models estimated associations between mid-BP trajectory group and CVD risk, adjusting for sociodemographics, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and first-trimester mid-BP. Results: Of 3309 participants, mean age was 27.1 (SD 5.5) years. Five mid-BP groups were identified ( FIGURE ). Incident HTN at mean follow-up of 3.7 years after delivery was 4.2% in low-stable, 11.1% moderate-stable, 21.4% moderate-decreasing, 21.8% moderate increasing, and 44.2% in elevated-stable groups. Compared with the moderate-stable group, adjusted 30-year predicted CVD risk was significantly higher by 0.8% (0.4, 1.1), 1.6% (0.9, 2.3) and 2.6% (2.1, 3.1) in the moderate-decreasing, moderate-increasing and elevated-stable groups, respectively. Conclusions: Among people not meeting HDP criteria, but with elevated mid-BP during pregnancy, nearly half had HTN within 5 years after delivery, and long-term CVD risk was higher. Mid-BP elevations during pregnancy may inform long-term CVD risk even in the absence of HDP.

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