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Use of clean-burning cookstoves may reduce hypertension during pregnancy
The use of clean-burning ethanol stoves for cooking in place of biomass and kerosene stoves may decrease hypertension and CV risk in women who are pregnant, according to research recently published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
“The results of our study add to the evidence that vulnerable populations, especially pregnant women, would gain important health benefits from stoves that burn clean fuels,” Christopher O. Olopade, MD, MPH, professor of medicine and family director of international programs at the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine, said in a press release.
Olopade and colleagues examined the potential for the replacement of kerosene or firewood-burning cookstoves with clean-burning ethanol cookstoves to help reduce BP during pregnancy.
A total of 324 pregnant women (between the 16th and 18th weeks of pregnancy) living in Ibadan, Nigeria, were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial. The women were randomly assigned to intervention with clean-burning ethanol cookstoves (n = 162) or to control groups that continued to use either firewood or kerosene as determined at baseline (n = 162).
The researchers collected BP measurement data from six different antenatal visits and looked at the difference in BP during that period.
In the primary analysis comparing the women in the ethanol group with controls, the change in diastolic BP differed between the ethanol group and all controls (P = .04). There was no difference in systolic BP during the study period (P = .86).
In a comparison between kerosene users at baseline who were switched to ethanol and controls who continued to use used kerosene, a difference in diastolic BP was recorded (P = .031).
Measurements taken at the last visit showed a mean diastolic BP of 2.8 mm Hg higher in controls compared with the women in the ethanol group.
Overall, more women in the control group were hypertensive at the last visit (6.4%) vs. ethanol users (1.9%; P = .051).
Women in the control group who were kerosene users had an even greater rate of hypertension at the last visit (8.8%) vs. ethanol cookstove users who were kerosene users at baseline (1.8%; P = .029).
“The statistically significant difference in rates of hypertension between control and intervention groups illustrate the damaging impact of prenatal [household air pollution] exposure and may explain why [household air pollution] has been associated with an increased risk of low birthweight and stillbirth in meta-analysis. This paper provides evidence that cooking with an ethanol-burning cookstove can positively impact BP. This reduction not only reduces pregnancy risks, but also the wider burden of disease for those exposed to [household air pollution],” Olopade and colleagues wrote.
“Additional studies are still needed to determine how much of a reduction in exposure levels will result in significant and sustained health benefits,” Olopade said in the release. – by Suzanne Reist
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.