How treating mild high blood pressure in pregnancy affects women's long-term heart health

Pregnancy as a Window to the Future: Outcomes of Antihypertensive Therapy and Superimposed Preeclampsia in Pregnant Women with Mild Chronic Hypertension (CHAP Maternal Follow-up Study)

NIH-funded research University of Alabama at Birmingham · NIH-11171373

This project looks at whether taking blood pressure medicine during pregnancy and developing superimposed preeclampsia change long-term heart and health outcomes for women who had mild chronic high blood pressure while pregnant.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Birmingham, United States)
Project IDNIH-11171373 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This follow-up tracks women who took part in the CHAP trial to see how their health fared years after their pregnancy. Researchers will compare long-term outcomes like heart disease, stroke, and metabolic conditions in women who used antihypertensive drugs early in pregnancy versus those who did not, and in women who developed superimposed preeclampsia versus those who did not. Data will come from clinic visits, medical records, questionnaires, and routine lab or health measures collected during follow-up. The goal is to clarify whether pregnancy treatment choices and pregnancy complications affect future cardiovascular risk so clinicians can give better advice.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are women who had mild chronic high blood pressure during pregnancy and especially those who were enrolled in the original CHAP trial.

Not a fit: People without a history of chronic hypertension during pregnancy, men, or those not part of the CHAP follow-up are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the results could help doctors and patients make clearer choices about blood pressure treatment during pregnancy to lower future heart disease risk.

How similar studies have performed: The original CHAP randomized trial showed short-term benefits and safety of treating mild chronic hypertension during pregnancy, but long-term impacts remain largely untested and this follow-up is novel.

Where this research is happening

Birmingham, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Adult-Onset Diabetes Mellitus
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.