Sleep apnea during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome and hypertension after delivery, according to a recent study.
Researchers have known for some time that sleep apnea in adults is associated with adverse cardiometabolic health, but less is known about how it impacts maternal health during and after pregnancy. In the new study, researchers followed 1,964 women who underwent testing for sleep apnea during their first pregnancy and 1,222 who underwent such testing two to seven years after pregnancy. The researchers also tested whether the participants were at increased risk for hypertension.
The researchers found that participants with sleep apnea during pregnancy and the two- to seven-year period after pregnancy were at more than three-fold increased risk for hypertension and more than two-fold increased risk for metabolic syndrome compared to those who did not have an abnormal sleep study. The study, partly funded by the NHLBI, appeared in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. The study analyzed data from the nuMoM2b study.