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Nov/Dec 2024
Volume 11 | Issue No. 90
As part of this year's National Women's
Blood Pressure Awareness Week (NWB-
PAW), public health experts from key
agencies including the National Heart,
Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the Cen-
ters for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), and the Office of Disease Preven-
tion and Health Promotion (ODPHP) gath-
ered to address a critical and growing is-
sue: hypertension, often dubbed the 'silent
killer,' and its increasing toll on pregnant
women—particularly Black and Hispanic
women.
With the release of new resources and
guidelines, NWBPAW aims to underscore
the urgency of this crisis and advocate for
immediate action to tackle the systemic
inequities that exacerbate these health
disparities. For too many women, the joy
of motherhood is marred by the looming
threat of hypertension-related complica-
tions, and tragically, the outcomes can be
fatal.
The Growing Crisis: Hypertension in
Pregnancy
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a
major risk factor for life-threatening con-
ditions like preeclampsia and eclampsia,
which can lead to severe complications or
death for both mother and baby. During
the NWBPAW presentations, it was re-
vealed that Black women are 60% more
likely to develop hypertension during preg-
nancy than their white counterparts, while
Hispanic women face significant barriers to
accessing adequate health care, often re-
sulting in undiagnosed or poorly managed
high blood pressure .
High blood pressure in pregnancy, also
known as gestational hypertension, typ-
ically develops after the 20th week of
pregnancy and can escalate rapidly if left
untreated. Preeclampsia, a dangerous
condition characterized by high blood
pressure and damage to organ systems,
primarily the liver and kidneys, affects 2%
to 8% of all pregnancies and is among the
most common pregnancy complications.
These numbers paint a grim picture,
yet they only scratch the surface of the
deep-rooted inequities at play.
"Women don't think about themselves. We are the caretakers
of the world... but it's not just about your baby; it's about you.
Ask for help, ask to be seen, and insist on being seen."
READ MORE
- Susan Bodiker (survivor)
