Pregnancy Vitamins & Lower Blood Pressure Risk
- Women who had higher levels of certain essential minerals in their blood during pregnancy, specifically copper and manganese, along with vitamin B12, faced a reduced risk of developing...
- The study, published in the journal Hypertension, is the first to examine the connection between metal levels during pregnancy and a woman's blood pressure and hypertension risk in...
- Mingyu Zhang, an epidemiologist and instructor at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, noted that people are constantly exposed to heavy metals and trace elements,...
Essential minerals during pregnancy—like copper and manganese, plus vitamin B12—could substantially reduce your risk of high blood pressure later in life. Groundbreaking research reveals a compelling link between pregnancy vitamins and long-term cardiovascular health. The study, published in Hypertension, analyzed data from almost 500 women, proving higher levels of these key nutrients during pregnancy correlate with a lower risk of high blood pressure about two decades later. News Directory 3 keeps you informed on the latest findings. This includes the fact that blood levels of other essential elements also correlated with lower blood pressure. Ready to discover how to optimize your health during this critical period?
Essential Minerals During Pregnancy May Lower Blood Pressure Risk Later in Life
updated June 05, 2025
Women who had higher levels of certain essential minerals in their blood during pregnancy, specifically copper and manganese, along with vitamin B12, faced a reduced risk of developing high blood pressure around 20 years later, according to new research. The findings were presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Prevention | Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions 2025 in New Orleans.
The study, published in the journal Hypertension, is the first to examine the connection between metal levels during pregnancy and a woman’s blood pressure and hypertension risk in middle age. Researchers emphasized that manganese, selenium, magnesium, and copper are essential for a healthy body, as their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties may protect against cardiovascular disease.
Mingyu Zhang, an epidemiologist and instructor at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, noted that people are constantly exposed to heavy metals and trace elements, which can impact cardiovascular health, especially hypertension.The study investigated how levels of essential metals and elements during pregnancy might affect blood pressure and hypertension risk in midlife.
Researchers analyzed data from Project Viva, a long-term study of women and their children in eastern Massachusetts that began in 1999. Blood samples were collected from nearly 500 women during early pregnancy between 1999 and 2002 to measure levels of essential minerals, non-essential metals, folate, and vitamin B12.
A follow-up study was conducted between 2017 and 2021, with participants at a median age of 51.2 years. Blood pressure measurements were taken to assess the associations between individual metals,blood pressure,and high blood pressure risk. Participants were considered to have high blood pressure if their measurements exceeded 130/80 mm Hg or if they were taking anti-hypertensive medication. The collective effects of 11 metals and two micronutrients on blood pressure were also analyzed.
“Optimizing these essential metals, minerals and vitamins, notably copper, manganese and vitamin B12, during pregnancy may offer protective benefits against hypertension in midlife, an especially critical time period for women’s future cardiovascular risk in later life,” Zhang said.
The study revealed that after adjusting for sociodemographic factors, a doubling of copper and manganese levels in the blood during pregnancy was associated with a 25% and 20% lower risk of high blood pressure in midlife, respectively. Additionally, a doubling of vitamin B12 levels was linked to an average 3.64 mm Hg lower systolic blood pressure and 2.52 mm Hg lower diastolic blood pressure almost two decades later. the researchers noted that about 95% of participants had vitamin B12 levels within the normal range.
Blood levels of copper, manganese, selenium, and zinc were also associated with lower blood pressure, with a dose-dependent relationship. Nonessential metals did not considerably impact blood pressure.
What’s next
Researchers hope to conduct further clinical trials to determine the optimal dietary intake of these minerals and micronutrients. Their goal is to identify women at high risk of developing high blood pressure later in life and intervene during pregnancy with enhanced nutrition or supplements.