What: KFF Health News digs into high blood pressure during pregnancy, of which cases “have roughly doubled since 2007. Researchers say the jump in cases is likely due in part to more testing that discovers the conditions. But that’s not the whole story. Data shows that the overall maternal mortality rate in the U.S. is also climbing, with high blood pressure one of the leading causes.”

Why it matters: Researchers are trying to understand why some women might develop pre-eclampsia when they don’t have other markers for the condition. But “Wanda Nicholson, chair of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent panel of experts in disease prevention, said steady monitoring is needed during and after a pregnancy to truly protect patients. Blood pressure ‘can change in a matter of days, or in a 24-hour period,’ Nicholson said.”

Source: KFF Health News (https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/high-blood-pressure-hypertension-pregnancy-preeclampsia-maternal-mortality/)