Patterns of Antihypertensive Medication Use in the First 2 Years Post Partum
Authors: Lihme Frederikke , Basit Saima , Thilaganathan Baskaran , Boyd Heather A. 
Published: August 2024

Importance

Women who had a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy (HDP) have a well-documented risk of chronic hypertension within a few years of delivery, but management of postpartum hypertension among these women remains inconsistent.

Objective

To assess the incidence of initiation of antihypertensive medication use in the first 2 years after delivery by HDP status and antenatal antihypertensive medication use.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This Danish register-based cohort study used data from women with at least 1 pregnancy lasting 20 or more gestational weeks (only the first pregnancy in the period was considered) who delivered from January 1, 1995, to December 31, 2018. Statistical analysis was conducted from October 2022 to September 2023.

Exposure

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Cumulative incidences and hazard ratios of initiating antihypertensive medication use within 2 years post partum (5 postpartum time intervals) by HDP status and antenatal medication use.

Results

The cohort included 784 782 women, of whom 36 900 (4.7% [95% CI, 4.7%-4.8%]) had an HDP (HDP: median age at delivery, 29.1 years [IQR, 26.1-32.7 years]; no HDP: median age at delivery, 29.0 years [IQR, 25.9-32.3 years]). The 2-year cumulative incidence of initiating postpartum antihypertensive treatment ranged from 1.8% (95% CI, 1.8%-1.8%) among women who had not had HDPs to 44.1% (95% CI, 40.0%-48.2%) among women with severe preeclampsia who required antihypertensive medication during pregnancy. Most women who required postpartum antihypertensive medication after an HDP initiated use within 3 months of delivery (severe preeclampsia, 86.6% [95% CI, 84.6%-89.4%]; preeclampsia, 75.3% [95% CI, 73.8%-76.2%]; and gestational hypertension, 75.1% [95% CI, 72.9%-77.1%]). However, 13.4% (95% CI, 11.9%-14.1%) of women with severe preeclampsia, 24.7.% (95% CI, 24.0%-26.0%) of women with preeclampsia, 24.9% (95% CI, 22.5%-27.5%) of women with gestational hypertension, and 76.7% (95% CI, 76.3%-77.1%) of those without an HDP first filled a prescription for antihypertensive medication more than 3 months after delivery. Women with gestational hypertension had the highest rate of initiating medication after more than 1 year post partum, with 11.6% (95% CI, 10.0%-13.2%) starting treatment after this period. Among women who filled a prescription in the first 3 months post partum, up to 55.9% (95% CI, 46.2%-66.1%) required further prescriptions more than 3 months post partum, depending on HDP status and antenatal medication use.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this cohort study of postpartum women, the incidence of initiation of postnatal antihypertensive medication use varied by HDP status, HDP severity, and antenatal antihypertensive medication use. Up to 24.9% of women initiated antihypertensive medication use more than 3 months after an HDP, with up to 11.6% initiating treatment after 1 year. Routine postpartum blood pressure monitoring might prevent diagnostic delays in initiation of antihypertensive medication use and improve cardiovascular disease prevention among women.