What interventions are effective in reducing development of hypertension and other cardiovascular complications in women who have had hypertensive disorders of pregnancy? A systematic review

Background Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) affect approximately 10–15% of pregnancies and pre-eclampsia affects 3–5% of pregnancies. Women with previous pre-eclampsia or HDP are at increased risk of hypertension (2 to 5 times) and major cardiovascular disease (1.5 to 3 times). There is little guidance on how to reduce this risk. Aim To establish if there are interventions in women with previous HDP or pre-eclampsia that reduce the risk of developing adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Method A protocol was submitted to PROSPERO; inclusion and exclusion criteria were determined and a search strategy implemented. Primary outcomes were: development of hypertension or change in blood pressure and development of other cardiovascular complications. Records and full texts were screened independently by two reviewers. The Cochrane Risk of Bias tool was used for quality assessment. Results 3593 articles were screened. Nine articles were included. There were seven randomised-controlled trials and two quasi-experimental studies. One study trialled antihypertensive use, two studies looked at blood pressure monitoring and six studies focused on lifestyle interventions. Three trials reported significant reductions in diastolic blood pressure in the experimental group. No studies looked at the optimal time of intervention or the impact of interventions on the development of other long-term cardiovascular complications. Five studies reported participant feedback. The majority of studies were of low quality. Conclusion Further research needs to explore potential interventions and optimal timing of interventions to reduce cardiovascular risk. Women also need to be consulted about their preferences for discussions about cardiovascular risk and potential interventions.