Objective
To test the feasibility of a randomised trial of home blood pressure monitoring paired with a remote lifestyle intervention (Heart Health 4 New Moms) versus home blood pressure monitoring alone versus control in individuals with a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy in the first year postpartum.
Design
Single‐blinded three‐arm randomised clinical trial.
Setting
Two tertiary care hospitals and a community organisation.
Population
Postpartum overweight and obese individuals with a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy and without pre‐pregnancy hypertension or diabetes.
Methods
We assessed the feasibility of recruitment and retention of 150 participants to study completion at 1‐year postpartum with randomisation 1:1:1 into each arm. Secondary aims were to test effects of the interventions on weight, blood pressure and self‐efficacy.
Results
Over 23 months, we enrolled 148 of 400 eligible, screened individuals (37%); 28% black or other race and mean pre‐pregnancy body mass index (BMI) of 33.4 ± 6.7 kg/m2. In total, 129 (87%) participants completed the 1‐year postpartum study visit. Overall, 22% of participants developed stage 2 hypertension (≥140/90 mmHg or on anti‐hypertensive medications) by 1 year postpartum. There were no differences in weight or self‐efficacy across the study arms.
Conclusion
In this pilot, randomised trial, we demonstrate feasibility of HBPM paired with a lifestyle intervention in the first year postpartum. We detected high rates of ongoing hypertension, emphasising the need for the development of effective interventions in this population.