HEALTHIER YOU: High blood pressure and pregnancy

BY DR. MARGUERITE BRATHWAITE OB-GYN

On February 7, National Wear Red Day will acknowledge the impact of heart disease, which claims the lives of millions of people each year. 

One of the leading causes of heart disease is high blood pressure. We might all be aware that a healthy blood pressure reading is 120/80, but many suffer from health problems due to this all-too-common ailment. 

Black women are more than twice as likely as their white counterparts to have uncontrolled high blood pressure during their childbearing years — raising their risk for pregnancy-related complications, new research finds. 

Nearly 18% of U.S. women of childbearing age have high blood pressure, a problem that has been growing over the past decade, according to the 2019 National Center for Health Statistics. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to strokes and heart attacks, along with pregnancy-related complications such as eclampsia and preeclampsia, which can be fatal. Black and Hispanic women with pregnancy-related blood pressure conditions are six times more likely to die from them than their white counterparts. 

Blood pressure measures the force of blood pushing against the artery walls. When that force is too high during pregnancy — a condition called preeclampsia — it can lead to stroke, organ damage, pregnancy loss or low birth weight for the baby. It also raises the risk of death for the pregnant woman and her baby. 

Daily, recorded at-home blood pressure checks allow medical professionals to spot issues early and act sooner. 

All women should have regular healthcare checkups. Make your appointment today by calling Innovative Women’s Care at (702) 413-7740 or visit us at 7650 West Sahara Ave. Suite 100 in Las Vegas.