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Hydrotherapy Reduces Arterial Stiffness in Pregnant Women With Chronic Hypertension

Giovana Macêdo Linhares1, Antonio Vieira Machado1, Marcus Vinícius Bolívar Malachias1

  • 1Instituto de Pesquisas e Pós-Graduação, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.

Arquivos Brasileiros De Cardiologia
|March 19, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Hydrotherapy significantly reduced arterial stiffness (AS) and heart rate in pregnant women with chronic hypertension (CH). This non-pharmacological approach may help prevent pregnancy complications.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Obstetrics
  • Physiotherapy

Background:

  • Chronic hypertension (CH) and high arterial stiffness (AS) elevate risks for superimposed preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction in pregnancy.
  • Non-pharmacological interventions are sought to manage these risks.
  • Hydrotherapy is explored as a potential strategy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the impact of hydrotherapy on arterial stiffness (AS) in pregnant women with chronic hypertension (CH).
  • To evaluate hydrotherapy as a non-pharmacological treatment option.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study design.
  • Standardized hydrotherapy sessions including stretching, warming up, strengthening, and relaxation.
  • Mobil-O-Graph® NG used to measure blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), and AS before and after sessions.
  • Comparison between 12 pregnant women with CH (HG) and 24 controls (CG).

Main Results:

  • Hydrotherapy significantly reduced AS, measured by augmentation index at 75 bpm (AIx@75), in both HG (28.8% to 22.4%, p=0.024) and CG (29.1% to 22.9%, p=0.001).
  • Heart rate (HR) significantly decreased in both groups post-hydrotherapy (HG: p<0.001; CG: p<0.001).
  • Blood pressure (BP) showed a non-significant reduction.

Conclusions:

  • A single hydrotherapy session acutely reduces arterial stiffness (AS) in pregnant women, including those with chronic hypertension (CH).
  • Hydrotherapy shows potential as a non-pharmacological strategy to mitigate maternal and fetal complications associated with CH.
  • Further research into hydrotherapy's long-term effects in pregnancy is warranted.

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