Postpartum home blood pressure monitoring and lifestyle intervention in overweight and obese individuals the first year after gestational hypertension or pre‐eclampsia: A pilot feasibility trial

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. 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.