Abstract
BACKGROUND
Women with a history of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are at increased risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease in later life. Lactation has been associated with reduced risk of maternal hypertension, both in the postpartum period and later life. However, little is known about whether lactation is also cardio-protective in women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy such as preeclampsia or gestational hypertension.
OBJECTIVES
This study aimed to characterize the relationship between lactation and postpartum blood pressure among women with preeclampsia and gestational hypertension.
STUDY DESIGN
Data were obtained from women who participated in the Prenatal Exposures & Preeclampsia Prevention study (n=379; 66% African American; 85% overweight or obese). Women enrolled during pregnancy and attended a postpartum visit (on average, 9.1 months after delivery) where data on lactation duration and blood pressure were collected. The significance of associations between postpartum blood pressure and lactation among women who remained normotensive during pregnancy, developed gestational hypertension, or developed preeclampsia were assessed with analysis of variance. Linear regression models were used to adjust for maternal age, race, education, pre-pregnancy weight, and time since delivery.
RESULTS
Gestational hypertension affected 42 (11%) and preeclampsia affected 33 (9%). Lactation was reported by 217 (57%) with 78 (21%) reporting ≥ 6 months of lactation. Women who lactated were somewhat older, more educated, and had higher socioeconomic status. Among women who had gestational hypertension, lactation was associated with lower systolic blood pressure (p=0.02) and diastolic blood pressure (p=0.02). This association persisted after adjustment for age, race, education, pre-pregnancy weight, and time since delivery. However, for women who had preeclampsia and women who remained normotensive during pregnancy, lactation was not associated with postpartum blood pressure in either bivariate or multivariate analyses.
CONCLUSIONS
This study found that lactation is associated with lower postpartum blood pressure among overweight women who develop gestational hypertension, but not among women who develop preeclampsia. Future studies are needed to explore association of lactation and blood pressure in later life for women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
Keywords: Gestational Hypertension, Hypertension, Lactation, Postpartum blood pressure, Preeclampsia
INTRODUCTION
Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are increasingly common in the United States1-3,4,5,6 and women who develop preeclampsia or gestational hypertension are at increased risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease in later life7-9. In particular, women with a history of preeclampsia have approximately double the risk of cardiovascular events in the 5 to 15 years after pregnancy compared to women who are normotensive during pregnancy7. Similarly, women with a history of gestational hypertension are at increased risk for hypertension, ischemic heart disease, and stroke in later life10.
The American Heart Association (AHA) Guidelines for Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) in Women suggest that women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy should receive ongoing post-delivery and life-long care from a primary care physician or cardiologist to monitor and control risk factors for CVD such as hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia11. Women with a history of preeclampsia may also benefit from lifestyle interventions such as exercise, changes in dietary habits, and smoking cessation12. Less attention has been given to the role breastfeeding may play in improving women's cardiovascular health.
Increased lifetime duration of lactation has been associated with reduced CVD risk in women and lower rates of hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, and the metabolic syndrome13-15. Lactation affects multiple hormones which impact blood pressure, including oxytocin16, prolactin17, cortisol18, estrogen, and progesterone. Among normal weight women, lactation has been associated with lower blood pressure at 1 month postpartum19,20. There have now been at least 9 studies,14,19-26 examining the association between lactation and maternal blood pressure after menopause, which have consistently shown that mothers who do not breastfeed are more likely to develop hypertension. However, whether lactation may differentially affect women with preeclampsia or gestational hypertension is not well understood.
We therefore characterized the relationship between lactation and postpartum blood pressure among women who did or did not develop preeclampsia or gestational hypertension. We hypothesized that participants who did not lactate would have higher postpartum blood pressure than mothers who lactated, whether or not they had developed gestational hypertension or preeclampsia, after adjustment for relevant confounders.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Participants
The study population was derived from the Prenatal Exposures & Preeclampsia Prevention (PEPP3) study, a prospective study of the impact of obesity on preeclampsia risk in women who received antepartum, delivery, and postpartum care at Magee-Womens Hospital of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC)27. Eligibility criteria included age 18-40 years, singleton pregnancy, and gestational age of 6-16 weeks at enrollment. Overweight and obese women (BMI>25kg/m2) were preferentially recruited to comprise 85% of the study population to examine mechanisms linking obesity to preeclampsia and gestational hypertenstion; a small a group of lean women were enrolled for comparison. Women with BMI <18, pre-existing hypertension, diabetes, seizure disorders, liver, heart, or kidney disease, collagen vascular disorder, drug or alcohol abuse, major fetal anomaly, or fetal demise were excluded.
As part of the study protocol, women were asked to attend a postpartum visit at least 3 months after delivery. Of the initial cohort (N=651), 437 women completed a postpartum visit 3-24 months after delivery. There were 55 women who became pregnant in the follow-up period and thus were ineligible for a postpartum visit and excluded from our analyses. For this study, we excluded women who had a postpartum visit < 6 months after delivery as these women would not have had data regarding whether they lactated for up to 6 months and those who had a postpartum greater than 24 months after delivery. Additionally, 3 participants attended a postpartum visit, but did not have recorded blood pressure data and were thus excluded. Our final analyses included 379 women (mean postpartum visit at 9.1 months, median 7.0 months, standard deviation (SD) 4.3 months). All women provided written informed consent and this study received exempt approval by the University of Pittsburgh's Institutional Review Board (IRB approval number PRO14080003).
At enrollment, participants completed a questionnaire which included demographic information (age, race, parity, marital status, education, income, occupation, smoking history, and plans for breastfeeding) as well as self-reported pre-pregnancy height and weight. The correlation between the first study weight measure and the self-reported pre-pregnancy weight was high (>0.97). Pre-pregnancy BMI (kg/m2) was calculated with self-reported weight and height and categorized based on World Health Organization guidelines as normal weight (BMI 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m2), overweight (BMI 25 to 29.9), obese class I (BMI 30-34.9), class II (BMI 35 to 39.9) and class III (BMI ≥40). Trained research personnel measured participant weight and blood pressure by standardized methods (measured twice after participants had been sitting for 5 minutes at rest and a third time if the first two measurements varied by more than 10mmHg).
Delivery data including gestational age at delivery, delivery type, and pregnancy complications were abstracted from delivery medical records. Gestational hypertension (two or more BP measurements >140/90) and preeclampsia (gestational hypertension plus proteinuria) were defined based on American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) guidelines in 200228 and adjudicated by the PEPP3 research team based on chart reviews using strict research criteria. Five women who attended a postpartum visit had a history of chronic hypertension, however none of these women developed superimposed preeclampsia.
At the postpartum visit, weight and blood pressure data were again gathered by trained research personnel. A variable to assess weight change postpartum compared to prepartum depending on follow-up time was defined as [postpartum weight (pounds)-prepartum weight (pounds)]/follow-up month postpartum.
Lactation History
At the postpartum visit, particpants completed a questionnaire which assessed their breast feeding practices. To assess duration of breastfeeding, participants were initially asked “Did you ever breastfeed or pump breast milk to feed your new baby after delivery, even for a short period of time?” Those who answered “no” were placed in the never breastfed category. Those who answered “yes”, were subsequently categorized by duration depending on their answers to two additional questions: “Are you currently breastfeeding or feeding pumped milk to your new baby?” and “How many weeks or months did you breastfeed or pump milk to feed your baby?” Based on these questions, participants were categorized into four groups: never lactated, lactated <3 months, lactated 3-6 months, and lactated > 6 months.
Statistical Analysis
Maternal characteristics [mean±SD or n(%)] were compared according to lactation history using analysis of variance (ANOVA) for continuous variables and chi-squared tests for categorical variables. We then tested the relationship between lactation and postpartum blood pressure for participants with (a) normotensive pregnancies, (b) preeclamptic pregnancies, or (c) gestational hypertensive pregnancies. We used ANOVA to compare differences in both postpartum systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) between each of the four lactation groups. Linear regression was used to adjust for potential confounding and mediating variables including maternal education (the SES indicator that has been most strongly related to pregnancy complications and to CVD risk in women29,30), age, race, time since delivery, preterm birth, and pre-pregnancy BMI with women who never lactated as the reference category.
Potential confounders were identified as those that varied significantly by lactation category and those known to be related to blood pressure. Models that adjusted for insurance or income in place of education did not alter the primary result of relationship between lactation and postpartum BP. We performed sensitivity analyses restricting the sample to nulliparous women only and obese women only (BMI>30) to confirm that the observed relationships were consistent with all approaches. Statistical analyses were conducted using SAS version 9.4 (SAS Institute, Cary, NC) and Stata version 13.0.
RESULTS
Participants
The initial cohort was comprised of 651 predominantly obese and overweight women. Of these, 437 (67%) attended the postpartum study visit and 379 who had a follow-up visit between 6 and 24 months were included in this study. In general, women who attended the postpartum visit were more likely to be African American and of low income compared to those who did not (Supplemental Table 1). Women who lactated for longer durations tended to be older, more educated, have higher income, and were more likely to report that they had planned to breastfeed , with over 90% of women who lactated for more than 3 months reporting that they had planned to breastfeed at delivery (Table 1). There were 33 women (9%) with preeclampsia and 42 (11%) with gestational hypertension; the prevalence of preeclampsia and gestational hypertension was similar in each of the lactation groups. Weight change and weight change over time in the postpartum period did not change with duration of lactation.
Table 1.
Baseline Characteristics by Lactation Group (n=379)
Total (N=379) | Never Lactated (N=162) | Lactated <3 mos (N=88) | Lactated 3-6 mos (N=51) | Lactated ≥ 6 mos (N=78) | p-value | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Age, mean in years, sd | 23.8, 4.2 | 23.1, 4.3 | 23.7, 3.9 | 24.5, 3.6 | 25.0, 4.2 | <0.01 |
Race (%) | 0.19 | |||||
Black | 251 (66) | 119 (73) | 57 (65) | 31 (61) | 44 (56) | |
White | 119 (31) | 41 (25) | 29 (33) | 18 (35) | 31 (40) | |
Other | 9 (2) | 2 (1) | 2 (2) | 2 (4) | 3 (4) | |
Married (%) | 150 (40) | 55 (34) | 39 (44) | 21 (42) | 35 (45) | 0.26 |
Education (%) | <0.01 | |||||
Less than HS | 31 (8) | 20 (12) | 8 (9) | 0 (0) | 3 (4) | |
HS or GED | 184 (49) | 100 (62) | 39 (44) | 18 (36) | 27 (35) | |
College + | 163 (43) | 42 (26) | 41 (47) | 32 (64) | 48 (62) | |
Income (%) | <0.01 | |||||
< $20,000 | 209 (55) | 94 (58) | 51 (58) | 23 (46) | 41 (53) | |
$20,000-$49,999 | 80 (21) | 28 (17) | 21 (24) | 15 (30) | 16 (21) | |
> $50,000 | 24 (6) | 4 (3) | 5 (6) | 3 (6) | 12 (15) | |
Unknown | 65 (17) | 36 (22) | 11 (12.5) | 9 (18) | 9 (12) | |
Insurance (%) | <0.01 | |||||
Private | 35 (9) | 5 (3) | 9 (10) | 6 (12) | 15 (20) | |
Medicaid | 231 (62) | 116 (73) | 50 (57) | 30 (59) | 35 (46) | |
None at enroll | 104 (28) | 34 (21) | 29 (33) | 15 (29) | 26 (34) | |
Smoking (lifetime) (%) | 164 (43) | 78 (48) | 35 (40) | 21 (42) | 30 (38) | 0.43 |
Nulliparous (%) | 291 (77) | 120 (74) | 71 (81) | 40 (78) | 60 (77) | 0.68 |
Parity, mean, sd | 0.37, 0.80 | 0.47, 0.95 | 0.30, 0.66 | 0.24, 0.47 | 0.35, 0.75 | 0.19 |
Pre-pregnancy BMI (%) | 0.64 | |||||
Normal | 56 (15) | 24 (15) | 11 (13) | 7 (14) | 14 (18) | |
Overweight | 88 (23) | 34 (21) | 16 (18) | 16 (31) | 22 (28) | |
Class I Obese | 115 (30) | 47 (29) | 33 (38) | 12 (24) | 23 (29) | |
Class II Obese | 63 (17) | 29 (18) | 15 (17) | 10 (20) | 9 (12) | |
Class III Obese | 57 (15) | 28 (17) | 13 (15) | 6 (12) | 10 (13) | |
Preterm Birth (<37wks) (%) | 43 (11) | 16 (10) | 9 (10) | 9 (18) | 9 (12) | 0.48 |
Preeclampsia (%) | 33 (9) | 15 (9) | 7 (8) | 6 (12) | 5 (6) | 0.74 |
Gestational HTN (%) | 42 (11) | 19 (12) | 9 (10) | 7 (14) | 7 (9) | 0.84 |
Gestational diabetes (%) | 12 (3) | 2 (1) | 6 (7) | 1 (2) | 3 (4) | 0.11 |
Planned breastfeeding (%) | 226 (63) | 44 (29) | 65 (79) | 45 (92) | 72 (97) | <0.01 |
Δ weight / follow-up time, mean in pounds/month | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 0.57 |
Follow-up, mean month, sd | 9.1, 4.3 | 9.2, 4.3 | 8.7, 4.2 | 9.9, 4.9 | 8.6, 4.1 | 0.30 |
Postpartum, mean weight change, sd | 12.2, 18.4 | 12.3, 18.9 | 13.8, 20.1 | 11.0, 16.5 | 11.2, 16.6 | 0.77 |
sd=standard deviation; HS=high school; GED=general educational development; BMI=body mass index; HTN=hypertension
Postpartum Blood Pressure by Lactation Duration
Among the participants who had gestational hypertension, postpartum SBP was significantly lower with longer lactation as was DBP (Table 2). However, there were no significant differences in postpartum SBP or DBP among women who remained normotensive during pregnancy across lactation groups. Similarly, among women who had preeclampsia, there were no significant differences in postpartum SBP or DBP across lactation groups. Combined analyses including women with gestational hypertension and women with preeclampsia showed no change in postpartum blood pressure.
Table 2.
Associations between Lactation Duration and Mean Postpartum Systolic and Diastolic Blood Pressure
Never Lactated | Lactated <3 mos | Lactated 3-6 mos | Lactated ≥ 6 mos | p-value | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Normotensive | N=128 | N=72 | N=38 | N=66 | |
Postpartum Systolic BP, sd | 110.9, 9.3 | 112.0, 9.9 | 111.4, 9.1 | 113.1, 11.9 | 0.56 |
Postpartum Diastolic BP, sd | 70.6, 7.5 | 71.5, 7.6 | 72.3, 7.4 | 72.0, 9.5 | 0.49 |
Preeclampsia | N=15 | N=7 | N=6 | N=5 | |
Postpartum Systolic BP, sd | 118.1, 13.9 | 122.6, 14.3 | 119.0, 9.0 | 127.9, 8.7 | 0.48 |
Postpartum Diastolic BP, sd | 75.6, 11.8 | 77.7, 12.7 | 75.7, 5.4 | 83.4, 3.9 | 0.52 |
Gestational Hypertension | N=19 | N=9 | N=7 | N=7 | |
Postpartum Systolic BP, sd | 125.7, 15.3 | 113.7, 12.6 | 118.0, 8.0 | 109.0, 6.11 | 0.02 |
Postpartum Diastolic BP, sd | 80.0, 13.1 | 73.7, 10.0 | 74.3, 9.9 | 64.4, 2.1 | 0.02 |
BP=blood pressure; sd=standard deviation
In fully adjusted models (Table 3), women who developed gestational hypertension had significantly lower postpartum SBP if they lactated for >6 months (β=−16.1 mm Hg, 95% CI [−27.7, −4.5]) compared to those who never lactated. Similarly, in the adjusted models women with gestational hypertension had significantly lower postpartum DBP if they lactated for >6 months (β=−16.9 mm Hg, 95% CI [−27.8, −6.0]). Among women who remained normotensive throughout and among women who had preeclampsia, fully adjusted models did not identify any significant associations between lactation duration and postpartum blood pressure.
Table 3.
Associations between Lactation Duration and Postpartum Systolic and Diastolic Blood Pressure in Adjusted Models (N=379)
Postpartum Systolic Blood Pressure | Postpartum Diastolic Blood Pressure | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unadjusted | Fully Adjusted* | Unadjusted | Fully Adjusted* | |||||
β | 95% CI | β | 95% CI | β | 95% CI | β | 95% CI | |
Gestational HTN | ||||||||
Lactated < 3 mos | −12.0 | (−22.4, −1.6)+ | −13.0 | (−24.2, −1.9)+ | −6.3 | (−15.2, 2.6) | −8.0 | (−18.6, 2.6) |
Lactated 3-6 mos | −7.7 | (−19.0, 3.7) | −4.1 | (−15.6, 7.3) | −5.7 | (−15.4, 4.1) | −4.6 | (−15.5, 6.2) |
Lactated > 6 mos | −16.7 | (−28.0, −5.3)† | −16.3 | (−28.3, −4.4)† | −15.5 | (−25.3, −5.8)† | −16.8 | (−28.1, −5.5)† |
HTN=hypertension
Adjusted for age, race, education, time since delivery, and pre-pregnancy BMI with never lactated as reference category
p-value < 0.05
p-value < 0.01
COMMENT
In this study of maternal blood pressure assessed, on average, 8 months after delivery, women with gestational hypertension had significantly lower BP if they had lactated for more than 6 months compared to those who did not lacate; this did not extend to women who lactated for 3-6 months or for <3 months. Among women who had gestational hypertension, the difference in postpartum BP between women who did and did not lactate was similar in magnitude to the 12-15 mmHg drop in BP expected among hypertensive patients who start a first line anti-hypertensive agent31.
These findings are consistent with previous studies that have suggested that lactation is associated with lower blood pressure in the immediate postpartum period,19,20 as well as in later life14,19-26. In a prospective study of 71 healthy women, systolic blood pressure declined across the immediate postpartum period (1-5 months) and was significantly lower in women who lactated compared to those who did not, independent of pre-pregnancy BMI20. Similarly, a retrospective chart review of Japanese women who had normal pregnancies showed a small, but significant reduction in postpartum blood pressure at 1 month postpartum among women who were lactating compared to those who did not19. Importantly, an experimental murine study found that systolic blood pressure was lowered at 1 and 2 months postpartum in mice that were allowed to lactate compared to those that were prevented from nursing their pups32. Endocrine pathways involved in lactation may contribute to lower postpartum blood pressure by decreasing inflammatory markers. Specifically, oxytocin may play a role in reducing inflammation16 and has some cardioprotective benefits. In addition, lactation may affect factors that influence systolic blood pressure such as arterial stiffness and compliance33.
Surprisingly, in this study, lactation was not associated with postpartum BP among participants who had preeclampsia, nor among those who remained normotensive throughout pregnancy. This may reflect underlying differences in the pathophysiology of gestational hypertension and preeclampsia. Although both gestational hypertension and preeclampsia share many risk factors34, they have distinct differences in pathophysiology. In preeclampsia, antiangiogenic peptides originating in the placenta are elevated, resulting in endothelial dysfunction and ultimately reduced blood flow through the spiral arteries that supply the placenta35,36. Newer studies also suggest that women with preeclampsia have persistent postpartum cardiovascular changes including left ventricular systolic dysfunction, diastolic dysfunction, and ventricular hypertrophy37. Murine models of preeclampsia have shown a lack of reduction in postpartum BP with lactation as well38. In comparison, gestational hypertension has been described as latent hypertension revealed temporarily by pregnancy35, with increased risk of progression to essential hypertension. Women with gestational hypertension do not have systemic findings of proteinuria nor cardiovascular changes suggesting that gestational hypertension and preeclampsia are in fact two distinct processes. Thus, it is plausible that lactation may have more of an effect on postpartum BP among women with gestational hypertension than those with preeclampsia as evidenced in our results.
Our study also found no relationship between lactation and reduced postpartum blood pressure among women who remained normotensive during pregnancy. This finding differs from what has been previously reported on lactation effects on blood pressure in the more immediate postpartum period and may be due to the fact that most participants in this study were followed for a mean of 9.1 months postpartum and median of 7.0 months in comparison to only 1 to 5 months post partum in previous studies. Additionally, it should be noted that the majority of women in this study, by design, were overweight or obese before pregnancy (mean BMI 32.5). Some studies have identified an interaction between pre-pregnancy obesity and the relationships between lactation and weight retention39. Although lactation has been associated with less postpartum weight retention for mothers who were normal weight before pregnancy, lactation has been associated with increased postpartum weight retention for mothers who were obese before pregnancy40. As few participants in this study had normal pre-pregnancy BMI, we may have missed an effect of lactation on postpartum blood pressure that could be visible among a larger sample of normal weight women.
Prior studies have shown that the prenatal period offers important opportunities to educate women about lifestyle changes that may affect their health in the future41. By participating in this study, women may have received prenatal counseling that increased their intention to breastfeed since participants’ reports of intending to breastfeed were higher than might be expected among lower income African American women in Pennsylvania. Notably, most of the predominantly overweight and African American participants in this study who planned to breastfeed prior to delivery succeeded in lactating for >3 months, which supports the idea that prenatal counseling about breastfeeding, especially for women with gestational hypertension, may be particularly important.
Strengths of this study include that blood pressure was measured at the same time that lactation history was collected and both were measured in a standardized fashion shortly after delivery, reducing the possibility of recall bias. In addition, detailed information on hypertensive disorders of pregnancy was collected from medical records using a formal research adjudication protocol, thus ensuring that preeclampsia and gestational hypertension were distinguished. However, there are limitations that warrant mention. When dividing participants by duration of lactation and specific hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, the sample sizes became small and would need more participants to be adequately powered. Additionally, although participants in this study were followed up to 24 months postpartum, longer follow up is needed to fully assess the relationships between lactation and maternal cardiovascular health in later life. During our study, ACOG definitions of gestational hypertension and preeclampsia were used, however these definitions have since been updated42. The definition for preeclampsia now includes women without proteinuria who have other systemic findings consistent with preeclampsia; with the newer definitions, some women we categorized as having simply gestational hypertension may have shifted to the pre-eclampsia group. Further classification of subtypes of preeclampsia including mild versus severe were not recorded nor were data on NICU stay. Another limitation is the lack of a measure of exclusivity of lactation, although this construct may be more relevant when considering the infant feeding than maternal health. In particular, women were not asked specifically about breast pumping versus breast feeding. By receiving prenatal counseling about breastfeeding, results about intention to breasfeed and success of lactation may have increased. Additionally, we chose not to adjust for both prepregnancy and postpartum BMI due to concern for colinearity. Lastly, there were significant socioeconomic differences between women who lactated and those who did not. Although we adjusted for socioeconomic status using education, concurrent adjustment for other socioeconomic variables was precluded by the small numbers of participants in each categetory which created model instability.
In conclusion, this study suggests that lactation may lower postpartum blood pressure, especially among women with pregnancies affected by gestational hypertension. Long term follow up is needed to assess relationship of lactation to later life blood pressure among women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Additionally, future studies are needed to fully understand the pathophysiology of blood pressure changes during pregnancy and the postpartum period, particularly among those who have experienced hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
Supplementary Material
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thank you to our research coordinator, Karen Derzic (Magee Women's Hospital).
SOURCE OF FUNDING: Funding sources include funding for PEPP3 study from NICHD (grant number P01 HD 30367) and CTRC (UL1 TR000005).
Footnotes
Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: The authors report no conflict of interest.
MEETING PRESENTATION: Abstract and poster presentation at the 2015 American Heart Association Epi/Lifestyle Scientific Sessions, Baltimore, MD, March 2015
REFERENCES
- 1.Wallis AB, Saftlas AF, Hsia J, Atrash HK. Secular trends in the rates of preeclampsia, eclampsia, and gestational hypertension, United States, 1987-2004. American journal of hypertension. 2008 May;21(5):521–526. doi: 10.1038/ajh.2008.20. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 2.Ananth CV, Keyes KM, Wapner RJ. Pre-eclampsia rates in the United States, 1980-2010: age-period-cohort analysis. Bmj. 2013;347:f6564. doi: 10.1136/bmj.f6564. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 3.Hernandez-Diaz S, Toh S, Cnattingius S. Risk of pre-eclampsia in first and subsequent pregnancies: prospective cohort study. Bmj. 2009;338:b2255. doi: 10.1136/bmj.b2255. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 4.Breathett K, Muhlestein D, Foraker R, Gulati M. Differences in preeclampsia rates between African American and Caucasian women: trends from the National Hospital Discharge Survey. Journal of women's health. 2014 Nov;23(11):886–893. doi: 10.1089/jwh.2014.4749. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 5.Bodnar LM, Ness RB, Markovic N, Roberts JM. The risk of preeclampsia rises with increasing prepregnancy body mass index. Annals of epidemiology. 2005 Aug;15(7):475–482. doi: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2004.12.008. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 6.Roberts JM, Bodnar LM, Patrick TE, Powers RW. The Role of Obesity in Preeclampsia. Pregnancy hypertension. 2011 Jan 1;1(1):6–16. doi: 10.1016/j.preghy.2010.10.013. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 7.Bellamy L, Casas JP, Hingorani AD, Williams DJ. Pre-eclampsia and risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer in later life: systematic review and meta-analysis. Bmj. 2007 Nov 10;335(7627):974. doi: 10.1136/bmj.39335.385301.BE. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 8.Wilson BJ, Watson MS, Prescott GJ, et al. Hypertensive diseases of pregnancy and risk of hypertension and stroke in later life: results from cohort study. Bmj. 2003 Apr 19;326(7394):845. doi: 10.1136/bmj.326.7394.845. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 9.Ray JG, Vermeulen MJ, Schull MJ, Redelmeier DA. Cardiovascular health after maternal placental syndromes (CHAMPS): population-based retrospective cohort study. Lancet. 2005 Nov 19;366(9499):1797–1803. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(05)67726-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 10.Lykke JA, Langhoff-Roos J, Sibai BM, Funai EF, Triche EW, Paidas MJ. Hypertensive pregnancy disorders and subsequent cardiovascular morbidity and type 2 diabetes mellitus in the mother. Hypertension. 2009 Jun;53(6):944–951. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.109.130765. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 11.Mosca L, Benjamin EJ, Berra K, et al. Effectiveness-based guidelines for the prevention of cardiovascular disease in women--2011 update: a guideline from the american heart association. Circulation. 2011 Mar 22;123(11):1243–1262. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0b013e31820faaf8. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 12.Berks D, Hoedjes M, Raat H, Duvekot JJ, Steegers EA, Habbema JD. Risk of cardiovascular disease after pre-eclampsia and the effect of lifestyle interventions: a literature-based study. BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology. 2013 Jul;120(8):924–931. doi: 10.1111/1471-0528.12191. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 13.Schwarz EB, McClure CK, Tepper PG, et al. Lactation and maternal measures of subclinical cardiovascular disease. Obstetrics and gynecology. 2010 Jan;115(1):41–48. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0b013e3181c5512a. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 14.Natland ST, Nilsen TI, Midthjell K, Andersen LF, Forsmo S. Lactation and cardiovascular risk factors in mothers in a population-based study: the HUNT-study. International breastfeeding journal. 2012;7(1):8. doi: 10.1186/1746-4358-7-8. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 15.Martin RM, Ebrahim S, Griffin M, et al. Breastfeeding and atherosclerosis: intima-media thickness and plaques at 65-year follow-up of the Boyd Orr cohort. Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology. 2005 Jul;25(7):1482–1488. doi: 10.1161/01.ATV.0000170129.20609.49. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 16.Gutkowska J, Jankowski M. Oxytocin revisited: its role in cardiovascular regulation. Journal of neuroendocrinology. 2012 Apr;24(4):599–608. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2826.2011.02235.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 17.Stamatelopoulos KS, Georgiopoulos GA, Sfikakis PP, et al. Pilot study of circulating prolactin levels and endothelial function in men with hypertension. Am J Hypertens. 2011 May;24(5):569–573. doi: 10.1038/ajh.2011.16. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 18.Ozarda Y, Gunes Y, Tuncer GO. The concentration of adiponectin in breast milk is related to maternal hormonal and inflammatory status during 6 months of lactation. Clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine : CCLM / FESCC. 2012 May;50(5):911–917. doi: 10.1515/cclm-2011-0724. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 19.Ebina S, Kashiwakura I. Influence of breastfeeding on maternal blood pressure at one month postpartum. International journal of women's health. 2012;4:333–339. doi: 10.2147/IJWH.S33379. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 20.Groer MW, Jevitt CM, Sahebzamani F, Beckstead JW, Keefe DL. Breastfeeding status and maternal cardiovascular variables across the postpartum. Journal of women's health. 2013 May;22(5):453–459. doi: 10.1089/jwh.2012.3981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 21.Schwarz EB, Ray RM, Stuebe AM, et al. Duration of lactation and risk factors for maternal cardiovascular disease. Obstetrics and gynecology. 2009 May;113(5):974–982. doi: 10.1097/01.AOG.0000346884.67796.ca. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 22.Lee SY, Kim MT, Jee SH, Yang HP. Does long-term lactation protect premenopausal women against hypertension risk? A Korean women's cohort study. Preventive medicine. 2005 Aug;41(2):433–438. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2004.11.025. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 23.Wiklund P, Xu L, Lyytikainen A, et al. Prolonged breast-feeding protects mothers from later-life obesity and related cardio-metabolic disorders. Public health nutrition. 2012 Jan;15(1):67–74. doi: 10.1017/S1368980011002102. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 24.Stuebe AM, Schwarz EB, Grewen K, et al. Duration of lactation and incidence of maternal hypertension: a longitudinal cohort study. American journal of epidemiology. 2011 Nov 15;174(10):1147–1158. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwr227. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 25.Oken E, Patel R, Guthrie LB, et al. Effects of an intervention to promote breastfeeding on maternal adiposity and blood pressure at 11.5 y postpartum: results from the Promotion of Breastfeeding Intervention Trial, a cluster-randomized controlled trial. The American journal of clinical nutrition. 2013 Oct;98(4):1048–1056. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.113.065300. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 26.Ram KT, Bobby P, Hailpern SM, et al. Duration of lactation is associated with lower prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in midlife--SWAN, the study of women's health across the nation. American journal of obstetrics and gynecology. 2008 Mar;198(3):268, e261–266. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2007.11.044. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 27.Catov JM, Abatemarco D, Althouse A, Davis EM, Hubel C. Patterns of gestational weight gain related to fetal growth among women with overweight and obesity. Obesity. 2015 May;23(5):1071–1078. doi: 10.1002/oby.21006. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 28.Bulletins--Obstetrics ACoP ACOG practice bulletin. Diagnosis and management of preeclampsia and eclampsia. Number 33, January 2002. Obstetrics and gynecology. 2002 Jan;99(1):159–167. doi: 10.1016/s0029-7844(01)01747-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 29.Morgen CS, Bjork C, Andersen PK, Mortensen LH, Nybo Andersen AM. Socioeconomic position and the risk of preterm birth--a study within the Danish National Birth Cohort. International journal of epidemiology. 2008 Oct;37(5):1109–1120. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyn112. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 30.Thurston RC, Kubzansky LD, Kawachi I, Berkman LF. Is the association between socioeconomic position and coronary heart disease stronger in women than in men? American journal of epidemiology. 2005 Jul 1;162(1):57–65. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwi159. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 31.Ernst ME, Carter BL, Goerdt CJ, et al. Comparative antihypertensive effects of hydrochlorothiazide and chlorthalidone on ambulatory and office blood pressure. Hypertension. 2006 Mar;47(3):352–358. doi: 10.1161/01.HYP.0000203309.07140.d3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 32.Poole AT, Vincent KL, Olson GL, et al. Effect of lactation on maternal postpartum cardiac function and adiposity: a murine model. American journal of obstetrics and gynecology. 2014 Oct;211(4):424, e421–427. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2014.06.004. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 33.O'Rourke M. Arterial stiffness, systolic blood pressure, and logical treatment of arterial hypertension. Hypertension. 1990 Apr;15(4):339–347. doi: 10.1161/01.hyp.15.4.339. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 34.Ros HS, Cnattingius S, Lipworth L. Comparison of risk factors for preeclampsia and gestational hypertension in a population-based cohort study. American journal of epidemiology. 1998 Jun 1;147(11):1062–1070. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a009400. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 35.Vest AR, Cho LS. Hypertension in pregnancy. Current atherosclerosis reports. 2014 Mar;16(3):395. doi: 10.1007/s11883-013-0395-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 36.Roberts JM, Hubel CA. The two stage model of preeclampsia: variations on the theme. Placenta. 2009 Mar;30(Suppl A):S32–37. doi: 10.1016/j.placenta.2008.11.009. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 37.Melchiorre K, Sutherland GR, Liberati M, Thilaganathan B. Preeclampsia is associated with persistent postpartum cardiovascular impairment. Hypertension. 2011 Oct;58(4):709–715. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.111.176537. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 38.Murata K, Saito C, Ishida J, et al. Effect of lactation on postpartum cardiac function of pregnancy-associated hypertensive mice. Endocrinology. 2013 Feb;154(2):597–602. doi: 10.1210/en.2012-1789. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 39.Palmer JR, Kipping-Ruane K, Wise LA, Yu J, Rosenberg L. Lactation in Relation to Long-Term Maternal Weight Gain in African-American Women. American journal of epidemiology. 2015 May 5; doi: 10.1093/aje/kwv027. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 40.Coitinho DC, Sichieri R, D'Aquino Benicio MH. Obesity and weight change related to parity and breast-feeding among parous women in Brazil. Public health nutrition. 2001 Aug;4(4):865–870. doi: 10.1079/phn2001125. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 41.Chapman DJ, Perez-Escamilla R. Breastfeeding among minority women: moving from risk factors to interventions. Advances in nutrition. 2012 Jan;3(1):95–104. doi: 10.3945/an.111.001016. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 42.ACOG. Hypertension in pregnancy. Report of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' Task Force on Hypertension in Pregnancy. Obstetrics and gynecology. 2013 Nov;122(5):1122–1131. doi: 10.1097/01.AOG.0000437382.03963.88. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
Associated Data
This section collects any data citations, data availability statements, or supplementary materials included in this article.