Blood Pressure and Heart Rate Variability and the Impact on Pregnancy Outcomes: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: Long-term (visit-to-visit) blood pressure variability (BPV) and heart rate variability (HRV) outside pregnancy are associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Given the limitations of relying solely on blood pressure level to identify pregnancies at risk, long-term (visit-to-visit) BPV or HRV may provide additional diagnostic/prognostic counsel. To address this, we conducted a systematic review to examine the association between long-term BPV and HRV in pregnancy and adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes.

Methods and results: Databases were searched from inception to May 2023 for studies including pregnant women, with sufficient blood pressure or heart rate measurements to calculate any chosen measure of BPV or HRV. Studies were excluded that reported short-term, not long-term, variability. Adjusted odds ratios were extracted. Eight studies (138 949 pregnancies) reporting BPV met our inclusion criteria; no study reported HRV and its association with pregnancy outcomes. BPV appeared to be higher in women with hypertension and preeclampsia specifically, compared with unselected pregnancy cohorts. Greater BPV was associated with significantly more adverse pregnancy outcomes, particularly maternal (gestational hypertension [odds ratio range, 1.40-2.15], severe hypertension [1.40-2.20]), and fetal growth (small-for-gestational-age infants [1.12-1.32] or low birth weight [1.18-1.39]). These associations were independent of mean blood pressure level. In women with hypertension, there were stronger associations with maternal outcomes but no consistent pattern for perinatal outcomes.

Conclusions: Future work should aim to confirm whether BPV could be useful for risk stratification prospectively in pregnancy, and should determine the optimal management path for those women identified at increased risk of adverse outcomes.

Keywords: blood pressure variability; fetal growth; hypertension; pregnancy.

Figure 1. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses flow diagram for study inclusion and exclusion.

BPV indicates blood pressure variability; and HRV, heart rate variability.

Figure 2. Mean BPV stratified by participant group.

Individual points represent mean values from individual studies. ARV indicates average real variability; BPV, blood pressure variability; and CV, coefficient of variation.