US Gestational Hypertension Rate Jumps 73% to 10.4% of Births by 2024
Updated
Updated · CNN · Aug 21
US Gestational Hypertension Rate Jumps 73% to 10.4% of Births by 2024
1 articles · Updated · CNN · Aug 21
Summary
10.4% of US women giving birth in 2024 were reported with gestational hypertension, up from 6% in 2016, with annual cases rising from nearly 236,000 to more than 377,000.
All 50 states and every age and racial group studied saw increases, though 2024 rates still ranged from 6.9% in New Jersey to 14.6% in Louisiana.
Women 40 and older had the highest age-based rates, while pre-pregnancy obesity more than doubled risk versus normal weight; American Indian and Alaska Native women and Black women also had the highest rates.
Older maternal age, rising obesity and more multiple births likely contributed, though researchers said changes in diagnosis or reporting may also explain part of the increase.
The condition can progress to preeclampsia and raise risks of preterm delivery, stillbirth, stroke and later-life cardiovascular disease, underscoring the need for blood-pressure checks at every prenatal visit.