HELPFUL (Hypertension Explored in Long-term Post-partum Follow-up in Later Life) (HELPFUL)

Research summary

This is an observational study of women with and without a previous hypertensive pregnancy. Participants will attend one 4-hr visit at the John Radcliffe Hospital, with the option to split the study visit over two days for convenience. Participants will also be invited to take part in a longer-term follow-up as part of the study. This part of the study does not involve any study visits or further contact with the research team. Instead,we will follow up their health outcome data for up to 15 years using NHS digital. There is no requirement for participants to consent to take part in this longer-term follow up and if they decide to take part,they are free to withdraw consent at any time without giving a reason. We will study a group of 200 women,10 to 25 years post pregnancy to extend data coverage over time and age and to ensure broad representation of hypertensive disease state during mid-life in women. This will be achieved by a follow-up of participants from our previous Preeclampsia Vascular Study (PVS) (08/H0604/127) originally seen at 6 to 13 years post-index hypertensive or normotensive pregnancy. If required,we will restart our identification and recruitment methods,previously used in PVS,based on obstetric records to identify,and recruit additional women who had pregnancies 10 to 25 years prior,to ensure that the sample size is reached. All participants will undergo a standardised imaging protocol as described in the general overview. Study participants will attend approximately one 4-hour visit on a single day or split over multiple visits,at the participants’ convenience to complete all measures. Participants will first be given the opportunity to answer any questions and they will provide written consent for the study. Participants’ anthropometric measures (waist-to-hip ratio,height and weight,body composition,and resting blood pressures) will then be taken,as well as a blood sample collection. After this,the participants will have an echocardiography scan and will undergo microvascular imaging (retina and ear) followed by spirometry and cardiopulmonary exercise testing. Participants will then be asked to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. The study visit will conclude with participants being provided with a wrist-worn physical activity monitor to wear for 7 days following the study visit.

Principal Investigator

Prof Paul Leeson

Contact us

Email: cvm_nurses@cardiov.ox.ac.uk

IRAS number

312727