Objective: To assess the present status of clinical care for postpartum patients with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) in Japan.
Methods: We conducted a nationwide questionnaire survey of obstetricians, internists and hypertension specialists and analyzed 686 valid responses.
Results: Though HDP is widely known as a risk factor for subsequent hypertension and cardiovascular disease, over one-third of obstetricians terminated their postpartum follow-up of HDP patients without referring them to other departments.
Conclusion: It is important to establish an effective referral system, whereby patients with HDP can be smoothly transferred to primary care or a specialist physician after childbirth for long-term monitoring and management of blood pressure.
Keywords: Antihypertensive agent; Breast feeding; Hypertension in pregnancy; Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy; Postpartum hypertension.