Prevalence, Correlates, and Outcomes of Co-Occurring Depression and Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy

Societal costs of untreated perinatal mood and anxiety disorders in Vermont

PURPOSE

To estimate the societal costs of untreated perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) in Vermont for the 2018-2020 average annual birth cohort from conception through five years postpartum.

METHODS

We developed a cost analysis model to calculate the excess cases of outcomes attributed to PMADs in the state of Vermont. Then, we modeled the associated costs of each outcome incurred by birthing parents and their children, projected five years for birthing parents who do not achieve remission by the end of the first year postpartum.

RESULTS

We estimated that the total societal cost of untreated PMADs in Vermont could reach $48 million for an annual birth cohort from conception to five years postpartum, amounting to $35,910 in excess societal costs per birthing parent with an untreated PMAD and their child.

CONCLUSION

Our model provides evidence of the high costs of untreated PMADs for birthing parents and their children in Vermont. Our estimates for Vermont are slightly higher but comparable to national estimates, which are $35,500 per birthing parent-child pair, adjusted to 2021 US dollars. Investing in perinatal mental health prevention and treatment could improve health outcomes and reduce economic burden of PMADs on individuals, families, employers, and the state.

Risks associated with antidepressants in patients with hypertension during pregnancy: a retrospective cohort study

PURPOSE

In a cohort of pregnant women using antihypertensive drugs, we compared exposure to antidepressants versus no exposure and the possible association with birth weight, APGAR scores, NICU admission, and maternal admission to an obstetrical intensive care unit (OHC). It was hypothesized that pregnant women with hypertensive disorders using antidepressants are at greater risk of complications.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study in a general teaching hospital in Zwolle, in the Middle-Northern part of The Netherlands. Finally, 58 pregnancies in the exposed group and 273 pregnancies in the reference group met all inclusion and exclusion criteria. We compared the neonate's birthweight between the exposed to antidepressants group and the reference group as the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes were the APGAR score at 1 and 5 min and obstetric high care (OHC) admission of the mother and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission of the child.

RESULTS

We found no differences in birth weight in neonates of mothers with hypertensive disorders and whether or not to use antidepressants. Besides a possible higher risk of admission to an OHC in women with hypertension-complicated pregnancies using antidepressants, we found no other maternal or neonatal risks in this population.

CONCLUSION

We found no additional maternal or neonatal risks of using antidepressants prescribed to women with hypertension disorders during pregnancy.

Rural/urban differences in health care utilization and costs by perinatal depression status among commercial enrollees

PURPOSE

To understand differences in health care utilization and medical expenditures by perinatal depression (PND) status during pregnancy and 1-year postpartum overall and by rural/urban status.

METHODS

We estimated differences in health care utilization and medical expenditures by PND status for individuals with an inpatient live-birth delivery in 2017, continuously enrolled in commercial insurance from 3 months before pregnancy through 1-year postpartum (study period), using MarketScan Commercial Claims data. Multivariable regression was used to examine differences by rurality.

FINDINGS

Ten percent of commercially insured individuals had claims with PND. A smaller proportion of rural (8.7%) versus urban residents (10.0%) had a depression diagnosis (p < 0.0001). Of those with PND, a smaller proportion of rural (5.5%) versus urban residents (9.6%) had a depression claim 3 months before pregnancy (p < 0.0001). Compared with urban residents, rural residents had greater differences by PND status in total inpatient days (rural: 0.7, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.6-0.9 vs. urban: 0.5, 95% CI: 0.5-0.6) and emergency department (ED) visits (rural: 0.7, 95% CI: 0.6-0.9 vs. urban: 0.5, 95% CI: 0.4-0.5), but a smaller difference by PND status in the number of outpatient visits (rural: 9.2, 95% CI: 8.2-10.2 vs. urban: 13.1, 95% CI: 12.7-13.5). Differences in expenditures for inpatient services by PND status differed by rural/urban status (rural: $2654; 95% CI: $1823-$3485 vs. urban: $1786; 95% CI: $1445-$2127).

CONCLUSIONS

Commercially insured rural residents had more utilization for inpatient and ED services and less utilization for outpatient services. Rural locations can present barriers to evidence-based care to address PND.

Healthcare Utilization and Costs Associated With Perinatal Depression Among Medicaid Enrollees

INTRODUCTION

Differences in healthcare utilization and medical expenditures associated with perinatal depression are estimated.

METHODS

Using the MarketScan Multi-State Medicaid Database, the analytic cohort included individuals aged 15-44 years who had an inpatient live birth delivery hospitalization between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2018. Multivariable negative binomial regression models were used to estimate the differences in utilization associated with perinatal depression, and multivariable generalized linear models were used to estimate the differences in expenditures associated with perinatal depression. Analyses were conducted in 2021.

RESULTS

The cohort included 330,593 individuals. Nearly 17% had perinatal depression. Compared with individuals without perinatal depression individuals with perinatal depression had a larger number of inpatient admissions (0.19, 95% CI=0.18, 0.20), total inpatient days (0.95, 95% CI=0.92, 0.97), outpatient visits (14.02, 95% CI=13.81, 14.22), emergency department visits (1.70, 95% CI=1.66, 1.74), and weeks of drug therapy covered by a prescription (28.70, 95% CI=28.12, 29.28) and larger total expenditures ($5,078, 95% CI=$4,816, $5,340). Non-Hispanic Black individuals had larger differences in utilization and expenditures for inpatient services and outpatient visits but smaller differences in utilization for pharmaceutical services associated with perinatal depression than non-Hispanic White individuals. Hispanic individuals had larger differences in utilization for outpatient visits but smaller differences in utilization for pharmaceutical services associated with perinatal depression than non-Hispanic White individuals.

CONCLUSIONS

Individuals with perinatal depression had more healthcare utilization and medical expenditures than individuals without perinatal depression, and differences varied by race/ethnicity. The findings highlight the need to ensure comprehensive and equitable mental health care to address perinatal depression.

Blood Pressure and Stroke: A Review of Sex- and Ethnic/Racial-Specific Attributes to the Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, and Management of Raised Blood Pressure

Raised blood pressure (BP) is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide, and its particular strong association with stroke is well established. Although systolic BP increases with age in both sexes, raised BP is more prevalent in males in early adulthood, overtaken by females at middle age, consistently across all ethnicities/races. However, there are clear regional differences on when females overtake males. Higher BP among males is observed until the seventh decade of life in high-income countries, compared with almost 3 decades earlier in low- and middle-income countries. Females and males tend to have different cardiovascular disease risk profiles, and many lifestyles also influence BP and cardiovascular disease in a sex-specific manner. Although no hypertension guidelines distinguish between sexes in BP thresholds to define or treat hypertension, observational evidence suggests that in terms of stroke risk, females would benefit from lower BP thresholds to the magnitude of 10 to 20 mm Hg. More randomized evidence is needed to determine if females have greater cardiovascular benefits from lowering BP and whether optimal BP is lower in females. Since 1990, the number of people with hypertension worldwide has doubled, with most of the increase occurring in low- and-middle-income countries where the greatest population growth was also seen. Sub-Saharan Africa, Oceania, and South Asia have the lowest detection, treatment, and control rates. High BP has a more significant effect on the burden of stroke among Black and Asian individuals than Whites, possibly attributable to differences in lifestyle, socioeconomic status, and health system resources. Although pharmacological therapy is recommended differently in local guidelines, recommendations on lifestyle modification are often very similar (salt restriction, increased potassium intake, reducing weight and alcohol, smoking cessation). This overall enhanced understanding of the sex- and ethnic/racial-specific attributes to BP motivates further scientific discovery to develop more effective prevention and treatment strategies to prevent stroke in high-risk populations.

Depressed mood and anxiety as risk factors for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Psychosocial factors have been implicated as both a cause and consequence of hypertension in the general population but are less understood in relation to hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP). The aims of this review were to (1) synthesize the existing literature examining associations between depression and/or anxiety in pregnancy and HDP and (2) assess if depression and/or anxiety in early pregnancy was a risk factor for HDP.

METHODS

A comprehensive search of Medline, Embase, CINAHL, and PsycINFO was conducted from inception to March 2020 using terms related to 'pregnancy', 'anxiety', 'depression', and 'hypertensive disorders'. English-language cohort and case-control studies were included if they reported: (a) the presence or absence of clinically significant symptoms of depression/anxiety, or a medical record diagnosis of depression or an anxiety disorder in pregnancy; (b) diagnosis of HDP; and/or (c) data comparing the depressed/anxious group to the non-depressed/anxious group on HDP. Data related to depression/anxiety, HDP, study characteristics, and aspects related to study quality were extracted independently by two reviewers. Random-effects meta-analyses of estimated pooled relative risks (RRs) were conducted for depression/anxiety in pregnancy and HDP.

RESULTS

In total, 6291 citations were retrieved, and 44 studies were included across 61.2 million pregnancies. Depression and/or anxiety were associated with HDP [RR = 1.39; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.25-1.54].

CONCLUSIONS

When measurement of anxiety or depression preceded diagnosis of hypertension, the association remained (RR = 1.27; 95% CI 1.07-1.50). Women experiencing depression or anxiety in pregnancy have an increased prevalence of HDP compared to their non-depressed or non-anxious counterparts.