Abstract

Gestational hypertension (or pregnancy-induced hypertension) is the development of new hypertension in a pregnant woman after 20 weeks of gestation without the presence of protein in the urine or other signs of preeclampsia. Gestational hypertension is one of the most common disorders diagnosed during pregnancy. Though relatively benign on its own, gestational hypertension progresses into preeclampsia in approximately half of women diagnosed with this disorder. A severe complication of preeclampsia is eclampsia which usually follows preeclampsia. Eclampsia is a rare but serious condition where high blood pressure results in seizures during pregnancy. Women who suffer from either of these pregnancy complications are at increased risk for experiencing symptoms of stress and anxiety that might prove detrimental to both mother and baby. Consequently, a great deal of research has been conducted on the relationship between gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, eclampsia, and stress. Further, a direct link between stress and anxiety has been well-established in research published on this topic. These studies typically involve samples of predominantly European or Caucasian Americans. However, little research has been designed to examine the relationship between gestational hypertension, stress and anxiety in African Americans. Moreover, few studies have focused on the beneficial effects of heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback (also called cardiac coherence training) on symptoms of gestational hypertension, stress and anxiety in this diverse patient population. Finally, results of research involving this understudied, diverse group of women could help fill the gap in literature published on the beneficial effects of cardiac coherence training in alleviating physical, mental, and emotional symptoms experienced during pregnancy.

Keywords: Gestational hypertension; Preeclampsia; Allostasis; HRV; Cardiac coherence