Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Jan:160 Suppl 1:22-34.
doi: 10.1002/ijgo.14540.

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and long-term cardiovascular health: FIGO Best Practice Advice

Liona C Poon  1 , Long Nguyen-Hoang  1 , Graeme N Smith  2 , Lina Bergman  3   4   5 , Patrick O'Brien  6 , Moshe Hod  7   8 , Pius Okong  9 , Anil Kapur  10 , Cynthia V Maxwell  11 , Harold David McIntyre  12 , Bo Jacobsson  13   14 , Esraa Algurjia  15   16 , Mark A Hanson  17   18 , Mary L Rosser  19 , Ronald C Ma  20   21 , Sharleen L O'Reilly  22   23 , Lesley Regan  24 , Sumaiya Adam  25   26 , Virna P Medina  27 , Fionnuala M McAuliffe  22 ; FIGO Committee on Impact of Pregnancy on Long-term Health and the FIGO Division of Maternal and Newborn Health
Affiliations

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and long-term cardiovascular health: FIGO Best Practice Advice

Liona C Poon et al. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2023 Jan.

Abstract

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are the most common causes of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. They are responsible for 16% of maternal deaths in high-income countries and approximately 25% in low- and middle-income countries. The impact of HDP can be lifelong as they are a recognized risk factor for future cardiovascular disease. During pregnancy, the cardiovascular system undergoes significant adaptive changes that ensure adequate uteroplacental blood flow and exchange of oxygen and nutrients to nurture and accommodate the developing fetus. Failure to achieve normal cardiovascular adaptation is associated with the development of HDP. Hemodynamic alterations in women with a history of HDP can persist for years and predispose to long-term cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Therefore, pregnancy and the postpartum period are an opportunity to identify women with underlying, often unrecognized, cardiovascular risk factors. It is important to develop strategies with lifestyle and therapeutic interventions to reduce the risk of future cardiovascular disease in those who have a history of HDP.

Keywords: blood pressure; cardiovascular function; cardiovascular risks; diet; hypertensive disorders; lifestyle modification; long-term health; pre-eclampsia; pregnancy.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Ronsmans C, Graham WJ. Lancet maternal survival series steering group. Maternal mortality: who, when, where, and why. Lancet. 2006;368:1189-1200.
    1. Li F, Wang T, Chen L, Zhang S, Chen L, Qin J. Adverse pregnancy outcomes among mothers with hypertensive disorders in pregnancy: a meta-analysis of cohort studies. Pregnancy Hypertens. 2021;24:107-117.
    1. Poon LC, Shennan A, Hyett JA, et al. The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) initiative on pre-eclampsia: a pragmatic guide for first-trimester screening and prevention. Int J Gynecol Obstet. 2019;145(Suppl 1):1-33.
    1. Khan KS, Wojdyla D, Say L, Gulmezoglu AM, Van Look PF. WHO analysis of causes of maternal death: a systematic review. Lancet. 2006;367:1066-1074.
    1. Duley L. Maternal mortality associated with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1992;99:547-553.

LinkOut - more resources