Blood pressure changes during pregnancy: impact of race, body mass index, and weight gain.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of race, body mass index (BMI), and weight gain on blood pressure in pregnancy and postpartum.


METHODS
Secondary analysis of pregnant women aged 14 to 25 who received prenatal care at a university-affiliated public clinic in New Haven, Connecticut and delivered singleton term infants (n = 418). Longitudinal multivariate analysis was used to evaluate blood pressure trajectories from pregnancy through 12 weeks postpartum.


RESULTS
Obese and overweight women had significantly higher blood pressure readings as compared with women with normal BMI (all p < 0.05). African American women who had high pregnancy weight gain had the greatest increase in mean arterial and diastolic blood pressures in pregnancy and postpartum.


CONCLUSIONS
Blood pressure trajectories in pregnancy and postpartum are significantly affected by race, BMI, and weight gain. Given the young age of this cohort, targeted efforts must be made for postpartum weight reduction to reduce cardiovascular risk.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA. urania.magriples@yale.edu
Urania
U
Magriples
Marcella H
MH
Boynton
Trace S
TS
Kershaw
Kathleen O
KO
Duffany
Sharon Schindler
SS
Rising
Jeannette R
JR
Ickovics
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000208:ethnology; D046110:Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced / Q000208:ethnology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D009765:Obesity / Q000208:ethnology; D050177:Overweight / Q000208:ethnology; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000502:physiology; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000208:ethnology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D044469:Racial Groups; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology*; D044465:White People; D055815:Young Adult