New research finds a link between high blood pressure before conception and early in pregnancy to miscarriage risk. The findings, published in the journal Hypertension, showed that for every 10 mm Hg increase in diastolic blood pressure (pressure when the heart is resting between beats), there was 18 per cent higher risk for pregnancy loss among the study population.
"Elevated blood pressure among young adults is associated with a higher risk of heart disease later in life, and this study suggests it may also have an effect on reproductive health," said lead author of the study Carrie Nobles from Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) in Maryland, US. Millimeter of mercury, or mm Hg, is the unit of measure used for blood pressure.
The researchers also found a 17 per cent increase in pregnancy loss for every 10 mm Hg increase in mean arterial pressure, a measure of the average pressure in the arteries during full heart beat cycles.
Diet and High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure or hypertension is defined as a blood pressure of above 140 mm Hg (systolic) and or 90mm Hg (diastolic).
The researcher studied more than 1,200 women who had already experienced one or two pregnancy losses and were trying to become pregnant. The findings were similar for preconception and early-pregnancy blood pressure.
Source: IANS
Miscarriage
A miscarriage (spontaneous abortion) is the spontaneous loss of a fetus before the 20th week of pregnancy.
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