National Preeclampsia Awareness Month recognized with special issue of Hypertension journal

Research on hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, including gestational hypertension and preeclampsia, featured in special issue of Hypertension, a journal of the American Heart Association

Issue Highlights:

• The American Heart Association's journal Hypertension today published a special issue dedicated to research about hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, including gestational hypertension and preeclampsia.
• Research highlights novel aspects of the mechanisms that may give rise to preeclampsia and provides potential insights into the prediction, prevention and treatment of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and their complications.
• The special issue also includes basic lab research studies exploring how certain immune cells may directly lead to preeclampsia and the mechanisms behind how low-dose aspirin may positively impact arteries in the uterus. Low-dose aspirin has been shown to prevent or delay preterm preeclampsia and is recommended for high-risk individuals after 12 weeks of pregnancy by both the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the United States Preventive Services Task Force.

DALLAS, April 16, 2025 - Today, the American Heart Association's journal Hypertension published a special issue of original research articles, research letters and editorial articles focused on hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, in recognition of May as national Preeclampsia Awareness Month.

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, such as gestational hypertension and preeclampsia, are a leading cause of death for both expectant mothers and newborns. Gestational hypertension is new onset high blood pressure that develops after 20 weeks of pregnancy, defined as systolic and diastolic, or top and bottom number, blood pressure measures of 140 mm Hg and/or 90 mm Hg or higher on two occasions at least 4 hours apart. Preeclampsia is a serious form of new onset high blood pressure that develops after 20 weeks of pregnancy. It is also defined as systolic and diastolic blood pressure measures of 140 mm Hg and/or 90 mm Hg or higher on two occasions at least 4 hours apart, however, preeclampsia includes high levels of protein in the urine or other signs of organ damage and has been linked to an increased risk of stroke and seizure during and after pregnancy. Additionally, recent research indicates that preeclampsia may be linked to an increased risk of women developing cardiovascular complications later in life, including heart failure and heart attack.

The editors of the special issue note it also marks World Preeclampsia Day on May 22, which commemorates the late Leon C. Chesley, Ph.D., who was born on May 22, 1908. Chesley, who championed and established the translation of basic research findings about preeclampsia from the lab bench to clinics, hospitals, and labor and delivery units, is recognized as the founding father of modern preeclampsia research; he was author of the field's foundational textbook, Hypertensive Disorders in Pregnancy, which was first published in 1978 and is now in its fifth edition. "Chesley's groundbreaking work, published from the late 1930s to the 1980s, encompassed the origin and progression of disease in the blood vessels and kidneys during pregnancy, as well as the epidemiology, treatment, and long-term prognosis of hypertension in pregnancy," said the special issue's editors.

"Women's health has traditionally been an underfunded area of research, which is surprising given that the entire world's population originates from pregnant women," said the editors of the special issue, Hypertension Associate Editors Jane F. Reckelhoff, Ph.D., and S. Ananth Karumanchi, M.D. "It makes sense that studying the origins of cardiovascular disease for both mothers and fetuses should begin during pregnancy. We hope this collection will continue encouraging research that help significantly improve maternal and fetal cardiovascular health outcomes around the world."

The featured manuscripts can be accessed in full here and include:

Editor's Page: Advances in Pregnancy Hypertension - S. Ananth Karumanchi, Jane F. Reckelhoff

Original Research:

• Early Pregnancy Blood Pressure Trajectories and Hypertension Years After Pregnancy -Gunderson et al.
  • Editorial: Early Blood Pressures Warrant Attention in Modern Clinical Data Infrastructure - Korzeniewski et al.
• Left ventricular hypertrophy in women with a history of preeclampsia - Hauge et al.
  • Editorial: Left ventricular hypertrophy or not left ventricular hypertrophy after preeclampsia - Hedström et al
• Senescent syncytiotrophoblast secretion during early-onset preeclampsia - Herse et al.
• The placental endocannabinoid system: focus on preeclampsia and cannabis use - Harhangi et al.
• Disparities in postpartum care after a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy - McLaughlin et al.
• The PRERISK study: a randomized controlled trial evaluating a sFlt-1/PlGF - Danser et al.
• Genetic variants associated with preeclampsia and maternal serum sFLT1 levels - Smith et al.
• Prenatal Psychosocial Stressors and Blood Pressure Across 4 Years Postpartum - Farzan et al.
• The Epidemiology of Maternal Hypertensive Disorders - Wang et al.
• Aspirin improves uterine artery function in hypercholesterolemic preeclampsia - Davidge et al.
• Persistence of a proteomic signature after a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy - Hlatky et al.
• Total and free placental growth factor during preeclampsia and FGR - Jungleson et al.
• Preeclamptic Placental CD19+ B Cells are Causal to hypertension during pregnancy - LaMarca et al.
• Reduced AT2R signaling contributes to endothelial dysfunction after preeclampsia - Stanhewicz et al.
• Sphingosine-1-phosphate, a Marker of Endothelial Injury and Disease Severity in Preeclampsia - Edvinsson et al.

Research Letters

• Cardiovascular Disease Risk Awareness and Prevention Perspectives Following Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy - Sunji et al.

Editorials:

• Epidemiology and Pathophysiology of Preeclampsia: New Mechanistic Insights - Santulli et al.

Co-authors, disclosures and funding sources are listed in each manuscript.

Studies published in the American Heart Association's scientific journals are peer-reviewed. The statements and conclusions in each manuscript are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the Association's policy or position. The Association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability. The Association receives more than 85% of its revenue from sources other than corporations. These sources include contributions from individuals, foundations and estates, as well as investment earnings and revenue from the sale of our educational materials. Corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations to the Association. The Association has strict policies to prevent any donations from influencing its science content. Overall financial information is available here.

Additional Resources:

• Follow AHA/ASA news on X @HeartNews
• Follow news from AHA's Hypertension journal @HyperAHA

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