Clinical characteristics and subsequent need for anti-hypertensive agents in the postpartum period for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy

• Published in: Pregnancy hypertension 2023-06, Vol.32, p.18-21
• Main Authors: Wilkie, Gianna L., Harrington, Colleen M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antihypertensive Agents - therapeutic use; Antihypertensive medications; Female; Humans; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced - diagnosis; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced - drug therapy; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced - epidemiology; Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy; Postpartum Period; Pre-Eclampsia - diagnosis; Preeclampsia; Pregnancy; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic; Retrospective Studies
• ISSN: 2210-7789; 2210-7797
• DOI: 10.1016/j.preghy.2023.02.003

•About 10.2% of postpartum women require two or more blood pressure medications.•Chronic hypertension is a risk factor for requiring postpartum HTN medications.•Chronic kidney disease is a risk factor for postpartum HTN medication use. The objective of this study was to identify clinical characteristics of patients with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy associated with requiring multiple anti-hypertensive medications to optimize blood pressure in the postpartum setting. We performed a retrospective cohort study of all women who had a diagnosis of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy who delivered at a single institution between October 1, 2017 and May 1, 2021. Demographics and clinical characteristics including category of anti-hypertensive medication and number of medications were collected. Models were adjusted for race. A total of 1,708 women were identified for inclusion. Of this cohort, 64.9 % did not require any anti-hypertensive medications, while 24.8 % used one medication and 10.2 % required two or more medications. When comparing women by the number of medications that were required, their demographics were similar except for race (p