U.S.-born Black women at higher risk of preeclampsia than Black immigrants

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-11/aha-ubw110220.php

 

News Release 9-Nov-2020
American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2020, Presentation MP383
American Heart Association

 

Black women born in the United States have a higher risk of developing preeclampsia compared to Black women who immigrated to the country, according to preliminary research to be presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2020.


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Preeclampsia, a serious complication of pregnancy characterized by high blood pressure and kidney dysfunction, is one of the leading causes of maternal death worldwide. It is 60% more common in Black women and is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

"Improving the cardiovascular health among U.S.-born Black women can make a difference in the trajectory of their pregnancies. Race itself is not the only contributing factor," said Garima Sharma, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore and co-first author of the study.

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