Dietary Influences on Hypertensive Disorders in Pregnancy

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, encompassing gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia, represent a leading cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity worldwide. Diet is a modifiable determinant that influences blood pressure regulation through effects on endothelial function, oxidative stress and inflammatory pathways. Both individual nutrients and overall dietary patterns have been investigated for their capacity to prevent or ameliorate hypertensive complications. Recommended strategies include optimisation of macro- and micronutrient intake, maintenance of a healthy pre-pregnancy body mass index and adoption of antihypertensive dietary patterns. Emerging evidence also implicates meal timing and regularity as contributors to circadian regulation of vascular tone. Integrating these insights into public health guidelines offers practical avenues to reduce the global burden of pregnancy-related hypertension.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have reported that adherence to a DASH-style diet is linked to a significant reduction in the odds of pre-eclampsia, based on a hospital-based case–control investigation involving 449 matched pairs. Higher DASH scores—reflecting greater consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy and limited intake of sodium and saturated fat—were associated with approximately 45% lower odds of pre-eclampsia compared with lowest adherence. These associations remained robust after adjustment for maternal age, body mass index and other confounders, underscoring the preventive potential of antihypertensive dietary patterns in pregnancy.

Dietary Influences on Hypertensive Disorders in Pregnancy publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in dietary influences on hypertensive disorders in pregnancy across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP): A group of conditions characterised by elevated blood pressure arising after 20 weeks of gestation, including pre-eclampsia and gestational hypertension.

Pre-eclampsia: A hypertensive disorder developing after mid-pregnancy, defined by new-onset hypertension accompanied by proteinuria or signs of organ dysfunction.

Gestational hypertension: Raised blood pressure occurring after 20 weeks of gestation without proteinuria or end-organ involvement.

DASH diet: Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, a nutritional pattern rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy and lean protein, designed to lower blood pressure.

Endothelial dysfunction: Impairment of the blood-vessel lining’s capacity to regulate vascular tone and maintain homeostasis, contributing to hypertension in pregnancy.

References

1. Dietary factors that affect the risk of pre-eclampsia. BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health (2022).
2. Adherence to a Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH)-style Diet in Relation to Preeclampsia: A Case-Control Study. Scientific Reports (2020).
3. Skipping breakfast during pregnancy and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in Japanese women: the Tohoku medical megabank project birth and three-generation cohort study. Nutrition Journal (2022).
4. Preconception diet in adolescence and its association with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and preterm birth. Results from the HUNT study. British Journal Of Nutrition (2024).