Peripartum Hypertensive Disease

Hypertensive disorders occur in approximately 10% of all pregnancies (Colantonio LD et al., J Am Coll Cardiol. 72:1187–1197, 2018). In 2019, cardiovascular disease was the leading cause of maternal death: 20.1 deaths per 100,000 births (Bushnell C, Chireau M, Stroke Res Treat. 2011:858134, 2011). The American College of Obstetricians states that 25% of maternal deaths could be prevented if cardiovascular disease had been diagnosed earlier (Rana S et al., Circ Res. 124:1094–1112, 2019). The care of pregnant patients with cardiac disease is associated with the widest and most persistent inequality in all US public health (Trost SL et al., Pregnancy-related deaths: data from maternal mortality review committees in 36 US States, 2017–2019. Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Department of Health and Human Services; 2022).