Hypertensive disorders during pregnancy on the rise in Canada: study 

New research published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found that rates of hypertension and pre-eclampsia increased by 40 per cent between 2012 and 2021.

A new study suggests the rate of high blood pressure disorders in pregnancy has risen over the last decade in Canada.

The research, published on Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, found that rates of hypertension and pre-eclampsia increased by 40 per cent between 2012 and 2021.

Senior author Dr. Joel Ray says high blood pressure is dangerous for both the mother and fetus, but can be identified with regular monitoring and prevented with low-dose Aspirin in women identified as being at risk.

Ray, who is also a specialist in obstetrical medicine at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, says there are also highly effective blood pressure medications that are safe to take during pregnancy.

He says likely factors associated with rising rates of hypertension include women getting pregnant at older ages and higher rates of obesity.

Ray says the causes aren’t as important as being “more on the ball” when it comes to identifying the risk of high blood pressure and treating it.

He says women can also develop high blood pressure disorders in the days following delivery, but may not get the care they need because followup obstetrical appointments aren’t scheduled until six weeks after birth.

Dr. Catherine Varner, a deputy editor for the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) and a Toronto emergency department physician, wrote an editorial about the study calling for more access to obstetrical care — especially in the days and weeks following birth when women aren’t closely monitored — through teams of midwives, family physicians and specialists.