Trial results for a study titled "Promoting Stretching Exercise to Reduce Cardiovascular Health Risk in Late Pregnant Women With Obesity" were posted on ClinicalTrials.gov on 2025-11-17. The study enrolled 224 participants and indicated that a stretching intervention led to smaller increases in blood pressure compared to usual care in late pregnant women with obesity.
Background
Obesity during pregnancy is associated with increased risks for both the mother and the fetus, including a higher likelihood of developing cardiovascular complications such as gestational hypertension. Managing cardiovascular risk factors in this population is crucial for improving maternal and fetal outcomes. This trial aimed to evaluate whether a dedicated stretching program could be superior to standard care in mitigating cardiovascular health risks in late pregnant women with obesity.
Trial design
This completed study, designated as Phase NA, enrolled 224 participants. The trial investigated conditions including Pregnancy Related, Cardiovascular Risk Factor, and Obesity. The intervention, termed "Prenatal Heart Smart Intervention," involved a stretching exercise program. This was compared against a "Usual Care (Control)" condition, which consisted of moderate/vigorous activity for 30 minutes daily, 5 days per week. The study focused on pregnant women from 27 to 37 gestational weeks, aiming to determine the intervention's impact on cardiovascular health risks.
Key results
The trial reported several key measurements:
- Change in Systolic Blood Pressure From Baseline (27 Gestational Weeks):
- At 32 gestational weeks: The Prenatal Heart Smart Intervention group had a mean change of 0.73 mmHg (Standard Deviation 8.21), while the Usual Care (Control) group had a mean change of -1.56 mmHg (Standard Deviation 8.34).
- At 37 gestational weeks: The Prenatal Heart Smart Intervention group had a mean change of 3.14 mmHg (Standard Deviation 8.02), compared to 6.23 mmHg (Standard Deviation 10.07) in the Usual Care (Control) group.
- Change in Diastolic Blood Pressure From Baseline (27 Gestational Weeks):
- At 32 gestational weeks: The Prenatal Heart Smart Intervention group had a mean change of 0.41 mmHg (Standard Deviation 7.75), while the Usual Care (Control) group had a mean change of 1.42 mmHg (Standard Deviation 5.28).
- At 37 gestational weeks: The Prenatal Heart Smart Intervention group had a mean change of 4.52 mmHg (Standard Deviation 7.08), compared to 7.63 mmHg (Standard Deviation 7.27) in the Usual Care (Control) group.
- Change in High Frequency of Heart Rate Variability From Baseline (27 Gestational Weeks):
- At 32 gestational weeks: The Prenatal Heart Smart Intervention group had a mean change of -0.13 log(ms^2/Hz) (Standard Deviation 1.42), while the Usual Care (Control) group had a mean change of -0.03 log(ms^2/Hz) (Standard Deviation 1.48).
- At 37 gestational weeks: The Prenatal Heart Smart Intervention group had a mean change of -0.42 log(ms^2/Hz) (Standard Deviation 1.02), compared to -0.37 log(ms^2/Hz) (Standard Deviation 1.27) in the Usual Care (Control) group.
What this means
The results suggest that a stretching intervention in late pregnant women with obesity may help attenuate the typical rise in blood pressure observed during this period. Specifically, by 37 gestational weeks, the stretching group experienced a smaller increase in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared to the usual care group. This indicates a potential benefit of stretching exercises in managing cardiovascular risk factors in this vulnerable population. Changes in heart rate variability were minimal and showed similar trends between both intervention and control groups, suggesting no significant differential impact on this specific metric.
Source
The information regarding these trial results was obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov, a public database of clinical studies. The results for the study NCT04291560, titled "Promoting Stretching Exercise to Reduce Cardiovascular Health Risk in Late Pregnant Women With Obesity", were posted on 2025-11-17 on clinicaltrials.gov.