A world-first study launched at St George Hospital has begun recruiting women for major research that examines how high blood pressure, or hypertension in pregnancy, affects a woman after giving birth.
The research aims to improve treatment for mothers and their babies through assessment and follow-up visits after birth - a method that gives doctors the potential to learn more about the condition than ever before, and improve the health of thousands of women.
About one in 10 women in Australia have a hypertensive pregnancy, with about 30,000 women affected each year. Hypertensive disorders include pre-eclampsia, gestational or chronic hypertension.
Chief investigator and St George obstetrician, Amanda Henry, says women who are diagnosed when carrying a child, are at increased risk of long-term health problems.
“Many studies have demonstrated that although blood pressure will return to normal for most women after a hypertensive pregnancy, they have at least double the long-term risk of heart attack, stroke and developing diabetes, and triple the risk of chronic high blood pressure, compared to women who had an uncomplicated pregnancy,” Dr Henry said.
“However, it is unknown whether monitoring or treatments in the first few years after a hypertensive pregnancy can improve health risks or outcomes for either a mother or her baby."
The state government-funded Blood Pressure Postpartum Study – or BP2 – will test different methods in the goal of encouraging a healthy lifestyle after diagnosis.
Doctors will trial the best follow-up and lifestyle behaviour change strategies for patients.
Study participants will be assigned one of three pathways for ongoing care, including a follow up with a GP, attending a postpartum clinic or participating in a lifestyle program.
Women and their babies will return to the hospital where they gave birth for further assessment six months after birth, and then at annual intervals from when their baby turns one.
Researchers want to recruit 500 women from five hospitals across Sydney - including at Kogarah, where the search for volunteers has already begun.
The methods are on a different track to what was previously offered, Dr Henry says.
“The study methods being investigated differ from the standard treatment offered after a woman has a hypertensive pregnancy because they include structured, consistent information packages, education tools and a specific hospital postpartum clinic for women," she said.
“Currently, few women receive appropriate follow-up, counselling or tools to support their long-term health.
“Because pregnancy identifies a group of relatively young women at higher risk of heart disease, our team of researchers are hopeful the study will identify effective interventions that can improve the future health of thousands of Australian women."
Study partners include the Heart Foundation and patient advocacy group Australian Action on Pre-eclampsia.
NSW Health provided $632,843 across two years for the research.