HEALTHIER YOU: Rising blood pressure during pregnancy?

BY DR. MARGUERITE BRATHWAITE OB-GYN

May is American Stroke Awareness Month. Many suffer from the “silent killer” of high blood pressure. But during their childbearing years, Black women are more than twice as likely as their white peers to have uncontrolled high blood pressure according to health studies. 

The analysis also showed 1 in 4 Black women and 1 in 3 Hispanic women lack access to healthy food. 

“Food insecurity is important when thinking about high blood pressure since sodium levels are higher in many lower-cost food options such as canned, ultra-processed and fast foods,” says senior study author Dr. Lara Kovell. 

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. 

Research has shown that Black, Hispanic and Asian women face higher risk for pregnancy-related complications and strokes. Black and Hispanic women with pregnancy-related blood pressure conditions are six times more likely to die from them than their white counterparts. 

An analysis found that Black women were far more likely than white women to have uncontrolled blood pressure, even after adjusting for lifestyle behaviors and social determinants of health. Asian women also were more likely to have uncontrolled high blood pressure than white women and were more often unaware of it. 

All women should have regular healthcare checkups, and it is especially important during pregnancy. Make your appointment today by calling Innovative Women’s Care at (702) 413-7740 or visit us at 851 S. Rampart Blvd., Suite 165 in Las Vegas.