Key result
During normal pregnancy, systolic blood pressure rises by 5.6 mmHg from 10 to 40 weeks, diastolic blood pressure rises by 6.9 mmHg from 21 to 40 weeks, and heart rate increases by 7.6 beats/min.
Why the study?
Current reference ranges for blood pressure and heart rate throughout pregnancy have a poor evidence base.
Population
Healthy pregnant women across 39 studies
Comparison
Blood pressure and heart rate across gestational age, measurement year, and measurement method
Design
Systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors
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Challenges mid-gestation BP nadir teaching in normal pregnancy; refines reference ranges for gestational BP and HR monitoring.
Meta-Analysis (n=36,239)
p-value: p=<0.001
In normal pregnancies, blood pressure and heart rate progressively increase from early to late gestation, challenging the commonly taught concept of a substantial mid-pregnancy drop in blood pressure.
Loerup et al. (2019) conducted a meta-analysis in Normal pregnancy (n=36,239). Gestational age (observational) was evaluated on Change in systolic blood pressure from 10 to 40 weeks gestation (95% CI 4.0, 7.2, p=<0.001). During normal pregnancy, systolic blood pressure rises by 5.6 mmHg from 10 to 40 weeks, diastolic blood pressure rises by 6.9 mmHg from 21 to 40 weeks, and heart rate increases by 7.6 beats/min.
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