Prevalence, Incidence, and Management of Hypertension in Pregnant Women Across Different Age Groups: A Comprehensive Study
Hypertension during pregnancy is a significant concern because it can have adverse effects on both the mother and the fetus. Nonpharmacologic therapies are being investigated as preventive measures to manage and mitigate the hazards associated with gestational hypertension. This study evaluates the efficacy of non-pharmacological interventions such as plasma volume expansion, low-dose aspirin therapy, and fish oil supplements in preventing gestational hypertension. In this randomized controlled trail, a total of 150 pregnant women were randomly assigned into three intervention groups (plasma volume expansion, low-dose aspirin, and fish oil) and one control group. Participants were monitored throughout pregnancy, and the incidence of gestational hypertension was evaluated through standardized clinical assessments. The results were compared using odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Among the control group, 36% of women developed gestational hypertension. A 28% incidence was associated to plasma volume expansion, although this decrease was not statistically significant (odds ratio 0.67, p=0.395). The incidence was significantly reduced to 50% (odds ratio 0.20, p = 0.005) with low-dose aspirin therapy, demonstrating an 80% reduction in risk and fewer hospital admissions. Notable improvements in fetal outcomes and blood pressure were observed, with a striking incidence of 90% (odds ratio 0.16, p=0.001) following fish oil supplementation; however, the reliability of the results is called into question due to the high incidence in the control group. The most effective non-pharmacologic approaches for preventing gestational hypertension were fish oil and low dose aspirin therapy, which demonstrated a marked decrease in incidence and improved clinical results. These findings highlight low dose aspirin and fish oil supplementation as promising non pharmacological strategies for reducing gestational hypertension risk, however further research is needed to validate their efficacy
Authors
- Noor Falah (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7045-9162)
- Fariha Ahmad Khan
- Huma Khan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0659-0692)
- Uswah Shoaib
- Bakhtawar Aslam
- Muhammad Essa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8854-8166)
- Snovia Ishaq
- Atif Amin
- Tanzila Babur
Institutions
- Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (PK)
- King Edward Medical University (PK)
- Allama Iqbal Medical College (PK)
- Government Sadiq College Women University (PK)
- Combined Military Hospital (PK)
- Bahawal Victoria Hospital (PK)
- Mayo Hospital (PK)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Microbiological Sciences
- Published
- 2025-03-28
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.38211/jms.2025.04.101
- Primary Topic
- Pregnancy and preeclampsia studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00