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Professor Paul Leeson and Dr Jamie Kitt will advise on the Self-Monitoring and Responsive Technology for Postpartum Blood Pressure Control (SMART Postpartum BP), which will be led by Dr Jennifer Lewey at the University of Pennsylvania.
The trial was developed following the Physician Optimised Post-partum Hypertension Treatment (POP-HT trial), conducted by CCRF researchers. The POP-HT trial found that new mothers who experienced an increase in blood pressure during pregnancy (hypertensive pregnancy), could reduce their risk of future heart disease and stroke by self-monitoring their blood pressure after birth.
Self-monitoring previously found to reduce risk following hypertensive pregnancy in UK
Around a third of women who experience hypertensive pregnancy go on to start treatment for high blood pressure within ten years and have a higher risk of heart attacks, stroke and heart failure.
The POP-HT trial found that taking daily blood pressure readings at home and personalised medication doses in the weeks after giving birth had a positive impact on blood pressure control for the first year after a hypertensive pregnancy.
Now, the SMART Postpartum BP trial will evaluate whether the approach could have positive impacts within the US healthcare system.
The SMART Postpartum BP trial is supported by a $12.4m grant into patient-centred research by the Patient-Centred Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI).
New trial will evaluate self-monitoring approach within US healthcare
The randomised trial will examine the use of postpartum blood pressure management in 670 adults across five hospitals in the US. The study will compare two programs to manage blood pressure in the weeks after delivery to improve heart health at one year postpartum.
The first program is considered 'low-touch', and involves monitoring blood pressure at home for 10 days with physician or nurse oversight to treat very high blood pressure. The second program is considered 'high-touch' and monitors blood pressure for a longer period of 12 weeks and adjusts blood pressure medication with the help of a medication guide, with a pharmacist or nurse providing oversight for those with very high blood pressure.
Professor Paul Leeson said: 'This is an exciting continuation of the POP-HT study. In particular we are aiming to understand if the 'high-touch' self-monitoring approach is better at lowering blood pressure, improving heart function and helping patients feel more in control of their health, compared with the 'low-touch' approach.'
The study also aims to understand whether the 'high-touch' approach helps to lessen disparities in blood pressure control among Black women, who are at a greater risk of pregnancy-related hypertension and the complications associated with it. The research team will also consider what factors need to be considered if the 'high-touch' blood pressure management program was to be implemented in clinics across the US.