An Oxford-led study published in JAMA Neurology suggests that effective blood pressure management soon after childbirth may help protect long-term brain health in women who develop hypertension during pregnancy.
Women who experience high blood pressure during pregnancy may be able to safeguard their long-term brain health through effective blood pressure management in the weeks following childbirth, according to new research conducted by scientists at the University of Oxford.
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The study found that women who regularly monitored and managed their blood pressure at home, supported remotely by a physician, showed larger volumes of brain white matter nine months after delivery compared with those who received standard postnatal care. The research forms part of the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre-supported POP HT (Physician Optimized Postpartum Hypertension Treatment) trial and has been published in JAMA Neurology.
White matter plays a vital role in enabling communication between different regions of the brain, and reduced white matter volume has been associated with cognitive decline and neurological conditions such as dementia.
Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, including gestational hypertension and preeclampsia, are already known to raise a woman’s long-term risk of stroke, dementia and other neurological complications. Previous studies have also shown that women with a history of these conditions tend to have smaller brain volumes years after pregnancy.
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However, the latest findings indicate that better blood pressure control in the immediate postpartum period may help mitigate these risks. The study involved women diagnosed with gestational hypertension or preeclampsia who required blood pressure medication at the time of hospital discharge. Participants were divided into two groups, with one group monitoring their blood pressure at home with remote medical guidance, while the other received routine postnatal follow-up care.
