Metal Mixtures During Pregnancy May Lower Midlife Hypertension Risk
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, March 14, 2025 -- Optimizing copper, manganese, and vitamin B12 during pregnancy can help lower the risk for high blood pressure and hypertension in midlife, according to a study published online March 6 in Hypertension to coincide with the American Heart Association Epidemiology and Prevention/Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health 2025 Scientific Sessions, held from March 6 to 9 in New Orleans.
Mingyu Zhang, Ph.D., from Harvard Medical School in Boston, and colleagues measured nonessential and essential metals in red blood cells along with folate and vitamin B12 in plasma during pregnancy (participants enrolled 1999 to 2002) to examine long-term associations with midlife blood pressure and hypertension. Midlife blood pressure was measured from 2017 to 2021.
A total of 493 women were followed for a median of 18.1 years. The researchers found that a doubling of copper and manganese was associated with 0.75 and 0.80 times the risk for hypertension, respectively, after adjustment. A slightly increased risk for hypertension was seen in association with higher cesium and selenium, but the 95 percent confidence intervals were wide and crossed the null. A doubling of vitamin B12 was associated with 3.64- and 2.52-mm Hg lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure, respectively. There was a monotonic association for the essential metal mixture with lower blood pressure, while threshold effects were seen for its association with hypertension.
"These findings suggest that optimizing essential metal levels during pregnancy, particularly, copper and manganese, along with vitamin B12, may offer protective benefits against high blood pressure and hypertension in midlife," the authors write.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted March 2025
Read this next
Concurrent Hypertension + Type 2 Diabetes Predict High Mortality Risk
WEDNESDAY, June 4, 2025 -- Adults with concurrent hypertension and type 2 diabetes (T2D) have high mortality risk compared with those who have neither condition or only one...
Race, Ethnicity Influence Sodium Sources, Sodium Reduction Behavior
WEDNESDAY, May 28, 2025 -- There are similarities and differences in the sources of sodium and sodium reduction behaviors between racial and ethnic groups, according to a study...
Childhood Cancer Survivors Have Increased Risk for CKD, Hypertension
THURSDAY, May 22, 2025 -- Childhood cancer survivors (CCS) have an increased risk for chronic kidney disease (CKD) and hypertension, according to a study published online May 19...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.