Higher calcium, zinc intake before pregnancy may prevent hypertensive disorders

Key takeaways:

• Women with greater calcium intake were 24% less likely to develop hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
• Those with greater zinc intake were 38% less likely to develop these disorders.

CHICAGO — Greater intakes of calcium and zinc before conception were tied to lower odds for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, according to two analyses presented at NUTRITION.

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are the second-leading cause of maternal death behind maternal hemorrhage. Previous research has shown that hypertensive disorders of pregnancy can impact children’s heart health and increase the chances for stroke in women.

“Given the potential adverse effects associated with antihypertensive medication treatment during pregnancy, identifying a modifiable factor such as diet for expectant mothers becomes paramount to prevention of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy,” Liping Lu, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of biostatistics at Ball State University, told Healio.

She explained that inadequate intake of zinc during pregnancy has been linked to several adverse pregnancy outcomes as well as maternal and infant morbidity, although evidence on zinc intake and its relation to hypertensive disorders of pregnancy is limited.

Lu and colleagues conducted two separate analyses utilizing data on 7,737 pregnant women without chronic hypertension from the Nulliparous Pregnancy Outcomes Study: Monitoring Mothers To Be. One analysis focused on the association between hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and zinc intake while the other looked at calcium intake.

The researchers assessed women’s dietary information 3 months before pregnancy through a food frequency questionnaire. Their zinc and calcium intake came from both food sources and supplements.

After adjusting for health, demographic and lifestyle factors like BMI, smoking and age, Lu and colleagues found that both zinc and calcium intake were inversely associated with the odds for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

Women in the highest quintile of preconception calcium intake had a 24% reduced likelihood of developing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy vs. those in the lowest quintile, according to the release.

Similarly, women in the highest quartile of preconception zinc intake were 38% less likely to develop hypertensive disorders of pregnancy compared with those in the lowest quartile.

“Notably, we found a joint association of zinc and iron with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, suggesting a possible synergistic effect of these two minerals/nutrients on the risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy,” Lu noted.

She added that the findings “underscore the importance of preconception healthy diet, particularly adequate intakes of zinc and iron with respect to hypertensive disorders of pregnancy prevention.”

“Certainly, further studies such as randomized controlled trials are needed to establish the possible causal relationship before we can make any specific recommendations to the clinicians,” she said.

References:

• Higher calcium and zinc intake linked with healthier pregnancy outcomes. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1048926. Published June 29, 2024. Accessed June 29, 2024.
• Lu L. Association of maternal zinc intake with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: The nuMoM2b study. Presented at: NUTRITION; June 29-July 2, 2024.
• Lu L. Preconceptional calcium intake and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Presented at: NUTRITION; June 29-July 2, 2024.