Determinants of hypertension following pregnancy

Summary

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading causes of death in women and hypertension is one of the most important modifiable risk factors for CVD. The project evaluates  lifestyle characteristics and hypertension disorders of pregnancy as determinants of chronic hypertension. The project utilizes the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort (MoBa) with linkages to  the Norwegian Medical Birth Registry for ascertainment of pregnancy-related complications and outcomes. Further, linkages to the National Prescription Database provide information on the use of anti-hypertensive medications following pregnancy.  The project will contribute to our understanding of the life-course epidemiology of cardiovascular disease in women and guide in the development of relevant intervention strategies. Further, with Regional Ethics Committee approvals in the fall of 2017, the project was expanded to include diabetes mellitus as an outcome utilizing the same data material.