Pre-eclampsia and Future Cardiovascular Health: An Underused Opportunity to Improve Family Health

Summary

Background: PE (pre-eclampsia) is a common pregnancy-specific vascular hypertensive disease affecting 3-5% of pregnancies. PE independently increases the risk for premature cardiovascular disease (CVD) in mothers and their offspring long-term. PE provides a unique window for early risk profiling and CVD prevention. However, the efficacy of a family oriented lifestyle intervention to lower CVD risk in families with history of PE has not previously been evaluated.

Aim: This study will explore the impact of PE on CVD progression 8-12 years from delivery in mothers and their children, and assess whether a lifestyle intervention is useful for lowering mother and child blood pressure and improving the CVD risk profile overall in families with a history of PE.

Hypothesis: PE is related with CVD progression mediated by elevated blood pressure. Blood pressure and the CVD risk profile overall is modifiable in mothers and children by a 12-month behavioral lifestyle intervention in families with a history of PE.

Study design: Randomized controlled behavioral lifestyle intervention trial where families (mother, child and father from the FINNPEC study) are offered the opportunity to participate in a lifestyle intervention program 8-12 years after a PE pregnancy. 300 PE families will be randomized 1:1 to a 12-month lifestyle intervention program or to a control group. A parallel group of 100 non-PE control families will be assessed at baseline and follow-up.

Main outcome: 24 hour mean blood pressure change between baseline and follow-up in mother and child.

Significance: This study will provide information on CVD progression in mothers and children 8-12 years from a PE pregnancy. Furthermore, the study assess the effect of a 12-month lifestyle intervention on blood pressure and CVD risk profile overall following a PE pregnancy. Potentially, the study provides the opportunity to identify PE families at highest risk of CVD progression and families amenable to blood pressure and CVD risk profile improvement.

Conditions

• Pre-Eclampsia
• Cardiovascular Diseases
• Cardiovascular Risk Factor
• Gestational Hypertension

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Face-to-face and web-based lifestyle intervention

Families are provided at baseline with one 60 min face-to-face dietary counseling session with nutritionist using family-oriented motivational interviewing and solution focusing techniques. The intervention continues in an interactive web-based portal where different modules include assignments, activities, and tests and related videos targeting five cardiovascular health-linked behaviors: 1) improving quality of fat in the diet, 2) increasing the consumption of foods rich in fiber, 3) decreasing the use of salt, 4) increasing physical activity and 5) reducing smoking.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Helsinki

  collaborator OTHER

• Helsinki University Central Hospital

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Tiina Jääskeläinen, PhD · University of Helsinki

• Hannele Laivuori, Prof, MD · University of Helsinki and University of Tampere

• Taisto Sarkola, PhD, MD · Helsinki University Central Hospital

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2019-06-01

Primary Completion

2022-12-31

Completion

2024-12-31

Countries

• Finland

Study Locations