title: Present status of clinical care for postpartum patients with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in Japan: findings from a nationwide questionnaire survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the present status of clinical care for postpartum patients with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) in Japan.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a nationwide questionnaire survey of obstetricians, internists and hypertension specialists and analyzed 686 valid responses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Though HDP is widely known as a risk factor for subsequent hypertension and cardiovascular disease, over one-third of obstetricians terminated their postpartum follow-up of HDP patients without referring them to other departments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is important to establish an effective referral system, whereby patients with HDP can be smoothly transferred to primary care or a specialist physician after childbirth for long-term monitoring and management of blood pressure.
authors.affiliation: Division of Maternal Medicine, Center for Maternal-Fetal-Neonatal and Reproductive Medicine, National Center for Child Health and Development , Tokyo , Japan .
authors.forename: Asako
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mito
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Arata
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: Kei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyakoshi
authors.forename: Masako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Waguri
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Osamura
authors.forename: Yukari
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kugishima
authors.forename: Hirohito
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Metoki
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yasuhi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D046110:Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D011181:Postnatal Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents
keywords: Antihypertensive agent; Breast feeding; Hypertension in pregnancy; Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy; Postpartum hypertension