Hypertension and Title X

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hypertension (blood pressure greater than 130/80) is one of the leading — and most preventable — contributors to maternal death and to disparities in maternal disease and death. “In 2018, nearly 1 in 20 pregnant persons in Alaska were diagnosed with preeclampsia, a disorder characterized by high blood pressure and signs of damage to other organ systems.” (DHSS, 2021) Inequities in access to healthcare and the social, economic, and environmental conditions that support health as well as the impact of stress, poverty, and racial injustice have been linked to hypertension.