Initiating antihypertensive therapy for BP ≥140/90 mmHg postpartum is critical, as over 50% of hypertension-related deaths occur after delivery.
An expert convening established critical consensus findings for postpartum hypertension care, emphasizing a treatment threshold of ≥140/90 mmHg and the necessity of home blood pressure monitoring devices for all patients with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
Abstract Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are significant contributors to maternal morbidity and mortality, impacting an estimated 15.9% of delivery hospitalizations in the United States. More than 50% of hypertension‐related deaths occur postpartum, and it is estimated that 80% of maternal mortality cases are preventable. Given this, the American Medical Association hosted a convening of experts to discuss and identify areas of consensus on postpartum blood pressure (BP) monitoring and management clinical practices, including the use of self‐measured blood pressure (SMBP) and remote patient monitoring (RPM). Key recommendations include initiating antihypertensive therapy for BP ≥140/90 mmHg postdelivery, maintaining inpatient monitoring for at least 12 h after medication adjustment, providing all HDP patients with home BP devices and education at discharge, post‐discharge BP monitoring should be a minimum of once daily for at least 2 weeks postpartum, treatment protocols are recommended prior to implementation of home BP monitoring, and a coordinated transfer of care should be facilitated to a primary care provider for all patients with an HDP. While SMBP or RPM shows promise for improving outcomes, evidence for guidelines remains limited. The authors strongly recommend and support the need for further research to establish evidence for guidelines to support broad‐scale improvement in postpartum BP monitoring and management.
Hoppe et al. (2026) studied this question. Initiating antihypertensive therapy for BP ≥140/90 mmHg postpartum is critical, as over 50% of hypertension-related deaths occur after delivery.