Study of Cardiovascular Risk and Postpartum Heart Health Education for Pregnant Women in Accra, Ghana

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying changes in blood pressure and early signs of heart disease risk among pregnant women in their third trimester through six months after giving birth in Accra, Ghana. This study includes women aged 18 to 45 years, with or without pregnancy-related heart and metabolic complications. The goal is to find out if a postpartum education program can improve monitoring of cardiovascular risk and help develop better screening and intervention strategies to reduce long-term heart disease risk for women. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group receives a structured cardiovascular risk-reduction program that includes home blood pressure monitoring and weekly education sessions about heart health, nutrition, physical activity, stress management, sleep, weight management, medication adherence, and long-term cardiovascular health after pregnancy. The other group receives enhanced postpartum care, featuring home blood pressure monitoring and scheduled health check-ins focusing on postpartum recovery, infant care, mental health, nutrition, infection prevention, and family planning support. Throughout the study, participants are monitored at baseline, three months, and six months after birth. Assessments include measuring carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and various cardiometabolic and vascular biomarkers. The study tracks how these measures change over time and evaluates the impact of the education programs. The total study duration spans from late pregnancy through six months postpartum, supporting ongoing health monitoring and education.

Cardiometabolic Risk in Pregnancy and Postpartum