Rates of High Blood Pressure Are Rising in Pregnant Women, Study Finds

Well|Rates of High Blood Pressure Are Rising in Pregnant Women, Study Finds

Rates of high blood pressure among pregnant women nationwide rose significantly between 2016 and 2024, according to a new report published Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

One in 10 pregnant women in the United States had high blood pressure in 2024, up from about one in 17 in 2016, a 73 percent increase over that period.

The maternal mortality rate in the United States exceeds that of other wealthy nations, and hypertensive disorders during pregnancy are among the leading causes of pregnancy-related death and disease. High blood pressure during pregnancy increases the risk of serious complications, including preterm birth, low birth weight and stillbirth, as well as placental abruption and organ failure in mothers. It also raises a woman’s risk of heart disease over her lifetime.

The new figures, reported by the C.D.C.’s National Center for Health Statistics, were drawn from birth certificates completed by hospitals, which contain information on a mother’s health. The figures do not include high blood pressure that was diagnosed before pregnancy, which is called chronic hypertension. But that condition has also been rising and affects some 3.7 percent of pregnancies.

“This is a substantial rise, and the author notes that this is probably under-reported on birth certificates, so the true rates may be even higher,” said Dr. Elizabeth K. Cherot, an obstetrician-gynecologist who served recently as president and chief executive officer of the March of Dimes, a maternal and infant health nonprofit organization.

“Clinicians are absolutely seeing this, and seeing it across the board — across every race, age and geographic region,” said Dr. Cherot, who is now chief medical officer at Unified Women’s Healthcare.