Forever Chemicals Raise Pregnancy Blood Pressure Risks
Bouvé/CEE Assistant Professor Julia Varshavsky led a Northeastern study linking exposure to “forever chemicals” (PFAS) during pregnancy with an increased risk of hypertension later in gestation, particularly among first-time mothers and those carrying female fetuses.
This article originally appeared on Northeastern Global News. It was published by Katya Poltorak. Main photo: A Northeastern study offers new insight into the link between forever chemicals and blood pressure spikes during pregnancy. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
PFAS may raise blood pressure during pregnancy. Who is most vulnerable?
Forever chemicals in everyday products may affect mothers and babies long after birth. A Northeastern study links exposure to higher blood pressure, especially in first-time mothers and women carrying girls.
Say no to sushi and steer clear of raw sprouts. Skip Bikram yoga. And keep your hands off that cat litter box.
Pregnancy comes with a list of dangers to avoid. Food-borne illnesses, overheating and parasites rank high.
However, some everyday products come with hazards that are hard to spot, such as per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly known as forever chemicals. They have been a go-to for keeping things dry and gunk-free, such as waterproof clothing and pans. But they contain chains of carbon atoms linked to fluorine — a bond that’s especially difficult to break, and if present in the body for a long time could cause a host of serious health risks.
A new study by Julia Varshavsky, assistant professor at the Northeastern University Bouvé College of Health Sciences, and colleagues found that women exposed to forever chemicals were twice more likely to have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, later in pregnancy. And the tendency to develop the medical condition was strongest in first-time mothers and those carrying girls.
Knowing who is most vulnerable could help clinicians catch dangerous spikes earlier and target efforts to reduce the contamination risk before it jeopardizes the health of two generations.
Decades of research and thousands of lawsuits since their harmful effects became clear, PFAS are still in the drinking water of roughly half the country and in thousands of commercial products. They’re also in the blood of just about every human, including those still in the womb.
High blood pressure isn’t great under any circumstances, but during pregnancy there’s twice as much at stake.
Building a new human calls for some major interior remodeling. Vessels have to be rerouted and organs shuffled around to shoehorn in an ever-expanding bundle and keep it stocked with nutrients.
“The blood volume has to increase by up to 50% by the end of pregnancy,” Varshavsky said.
Northeastern researcher Julia Varshavsky studies how everyday chemical exposures shape health during pregnancy and beyond. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
Keeping all of it flowing is hard on the heart.
“Researchers often describe pregnancy as a cardiovascular ‘stress test,’” Rainbow Rubin, director of science at Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, an advocacy organization, told Northeastern Global News.
Some women develop gestational hypertension — a condition marked by high blood pressure that first develops after 20 weeks of pregnancy and affects 13% of moms-to-be in the U.S., with those of Puerto Rican descent at highest risk among Hispanic women, according to previous research.
Puerto Rico also happens to be a hotbed of hazardous-waste sites.
Read full story at Northeastern Global News