Race-, Gender-Related Microaggression Linked to Higher Postpartum BP
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, Jan. 10, 2025 -- Experiencing at least one microaggression related to race and gender during or after pregnancy is associated with increased postpartum blood pressure (BP), according to a study published online Jan. 9 in Hypertension.
Teresa Janevic, Ph.D., M.P.H., from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York City, and colleagues conducted a prospective postpartum cohort study involving 373 Asian, Black, and Hispanic participants in New York City and Philadelphia. The Gendered Racial Microaggression (GRM) in Obstetrics scale was administered at delivery. Mixed models were used to estimate the associations between GRM and mean postpartum systolic and diastolic BP, measured for three months.
Overall, 4.6, 20.9, and 13.4 percent of participants had chronic hypertension, pregnancy hypertension, and preeclampsia, respectively, comprising a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy subgroup (117 participants). The researchers found that 37.5 percent of participants experienced one or more GRM. Those who experienced one or more GRM versus none had 1.88 and 2.19 mm Hg higher systolic BP from days 1 to 10 and days 11 to 85, respectively. A similar pattern was seen for associations with diastolic BP; associations were stronger in the hypertensive disorder of pregnancy subgroup. Compared with those with neither, participants experiencing GRM and a high Structural Racism Effect Index had 7.55 and 6.03 mm Hg higher systolic and diastolic BP, respectively.
"This work serves as a reminder of the long-term impact that racism can have on one’s overall health," senior author Lisa Levine, M.D., from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia, said in a statement. "The magnitude of these types of physiologic changes may become cumulative over time and lead to the inequities we see in many health outcomes."
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 January 2025
Read this next
Lorundrostat Beneficial for BP Reduction in Uncontrolled Hypertension
WEDNESDAY, April 30, 2025 -- For patients with uncontrolled and treatment-resistant hypertension, lorundrostat is associated with greater reductions in blood pressure than...
Intensive BP Reduction Effective for Lowering All-Cause Dementia Risk
TUESDAY, April 29, 2025 -- An intensive blood pressure (BP) reduction intervention is effective for lowering the risk for all-cause dementia among individuals aged 40 years and...
USPSTF Recommends Counseling to Prevent Perinatal Depression
FRIDAY, April 25, 2025 -- The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends counseling for women at increased risk for perinatal depression (PND). This recommendation...
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.