Clinical Research Directory

Community Health Worker Support to Lower Blood Pressure After a Pregnancy With High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure during or after pregnancy (such as preeclampsia, gestational hypertension, eclampsia, or Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes, and Low Platelet (HELLP) syndrome) raises a mother's risk of heart disease later in life. Many patients do not return for follow-up care after delivery, missing a key window to protect their heart health. The Alabama Womb to Heart Solution (AW2H) trial will test whether pairing postpartum patients with a trained community health worker (CHW) for 6 months lowers blood pressure compared with usual care. A total of 174 postpartum patients who had pregnancy-associated hypertension or stage 2 high blood pressure will be randomly assigned (1:1) to usual care or usual care plus the AW2H CHW program. All participants receive education on measuring their own blood pressure and a pregnancy-validated home blood pressure monitor. Participants in the CHW group are also contacted regularly by a CHW for 6 months. CHWs coach home blood pressure monitoring, support taking blood pressure medications as prescribed, encourage heart-healthy habits based on the American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8 (LE8), help schedule a primary care visit, provide mother-baby education (such as safe sleep and immunizations), and offer emotional support. The main outcome is systolic blood pressure 6 months after enrollment, measured at home with the study-provided monitor while a research coordinator observes in person or by video/phone. The study will also look at diastolic blood pressure and whether participants scheduled a primary care visit. Interviews and focus groups will explore participant, CHW, and provider experiences with the program.