Following a Mediterranean-style diet during pregnancy may reduce the
risk of preeclampsia

Date:
April 20, 2022
Source:
American Heart Association
Summary:
An analysis of health and dietary data for more than 8,500 pregnant
women found that greater adherence to a Mediterranean-style eating
plan was associated with a lower risk of preeclampsia, which is a
pregnancy complication characterized by severe high blood pressure
that can be serious or even fatal for both mother and child. The
reduction in risk of preeclampsia was greatest among Black women --
a population at high risk for preeclampsia.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Following a Mediterranean-style diet during pregnancy was associated with
a reduced risk of developing preeclampsia, and Black women appeared to
have the greatest reduction of risk, according to new research published
today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.


========================================================================== Previous studies have found that following a Mediterranean diet, which
consists primarily of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, olive oil,
whole grains, and fish, reduces heart disease risk in adults.

Preeclampsia, a condition during pregnancy characterized by severe
high blood pressure and liver or kidney damage, is a major cause of complications and death for the mother and her unborn child. Preeclampsia
also increases a woman's risk of heart diseases, such as high blood
pressure, heart attack, stroke or heart failure, by more than two times
later in life. Women with preeclampsia have a higher risk of preterm
delivery (giving birth before 37 weeks gestation) or low birth weight
babies, and children born to mothers with preeclampsia are also at higher
risk of developing high blood pressure and heart disease.

Black women are at higher risk of developing preeclampsia, yet research
on potential treatments for high-risk women are limited, according
to the study researchers. The researchers investigated the potential association of a Mediterranean-style diet among a large group of racially
and ethnically diverse women who have a high risk of preeclampsia.

"The U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate among developed
countries, and preeclampsia contributes to it," said Anum S. Minhas, M.D., M.H.S., chief cardiology fellow and a cardio-obstetrics and advanced
imaging fellow at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. "Given
these health hazards to both mothers and their children, it is
important to identify modifiable factors to prevent the development
of preeclampsia, especially among Black women who are at the highest
risk of this serious pregnancy complication." This study included data
for more than 8,500 women enrolled between 1998 and 2016 in the Boston
Birth Cohort. Participants' median age was 25 years old, and they were recruited from Boston Medical Center, which serves a predominantly urban, low-income, under-represented racial and ethnic population. Nearly half
of the participants were Black women (47%), about a quarter were Hispanic
women (28%) and the remaining were white women or "other" race, according
to self- reported information on a postpartum questionnaire. Researchers created a Mediterranean-style diet score based on participants' responses
to food frequency interviews and questionnaires, which were conducted
within three days of giving birth.

The analysis found:
* 10% of the study participants developed preeclampsia.

* Women who had any form of diabetes before pregnancy and
pre-pregnancy
obesity were twice as likely to develop preeclampsia compared to
women without those conditions.

* The risk of preeclampsia was more than 20% lower among the women who
followed a Mediterranean-style diet during pregnancy.

* Black women who had the lowest Mediterranean-style diet scores
had the
highest risk (78%) for preeclampsia compared to all other non-Black
women who more closely adhered to the Mediterranean-style diet.

"We were surprised that women who more frequently ate foods in the Mediterranean-style diet were significantly less likely to develop preeclampsia, with Black women experiencing the greatest reduction
in risk," Minhas said. "This is remarkable because there are very few interventions during pregnancy that are found to produce any meaningful benefit, and medical treatments during pregnancy must be approached
cautiously to ensure the benefits outweigh the potential risks to the
mother and the unborn child." Minhas added, "Women should be encouraged
to follow a healthy lifestyle, including a nutritious diet and regular exercise, at all stages in life. Eating healthy foods regularly,
including vegetables, fruits and legumes, is especially important for
women during pregnancy. Their health during pregnancy affects their
future cardiovascular health and also impacts their baby's health."
The study's limitations are related to the food frequency interviews: they
were conducted once after the pregnancy, and they relied on self-reported information about which foods were eaten and how frequently they were
eaten.

Co-authors are Xiumei Hong, M.D., Ph.D.; Guoying Wang, M.D., Ph.D.;
Dong Keun Rhee, R.D., M.S.P.H.; Tiange Liu, M.H.S., M.B.B.S.; Mingyu
Zhang, M.H.S.; Erin D. Michos, M.D., M.H.S.; Xiaobin Wang, M.D., Sc.D.;
and Noel T. Mueller, Ph.D.

Authors' disclosures are listed in the manuscript.

The Boston Birth Cohort Study was supported in part by the March of
Dimes; the National Institutes of Health; and the Health Resources
and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Additional funding to authors is listed in the manuscript.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by American_Heart_Association. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Anum S. Minhas, Xiumei Hong, Guoying Wang, Dong Keun Rhee,
Tiange Liu,
Mingyu Zhang, Erin D. Michos, Xiaobin Wang, Noel T. Mueller.

Mediterranean‐Style Diet and Risk of Preeclampsia by Race in
the Boston Birth Cohort. Journal of the American Heart Association,
2022; DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.121.022589 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220420092129.htm

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