Link Between Vitamin and Mineral Levels in Pregnancy and Midlife Blood Pressure Risk Identified

Fri 7th Mar, 2025

Research presented at the American Heart Association's Epidemiology and Prevention | Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions 2025 suggests a significant correlation between levels of certain vitamins and minerals during pregnancy and the risk of high blood pressure in midlife.

The study, which is the first of its kind to investigate the relationship between blood mineral levels during pregnancy and subsequent hypertension, highlights that women with elevated concentrations of essential minerals such as copper and manganese, along with vitamin B12, exhibit a reduced likelihood of developing high blood pressure approximately 20 years later.

Previous studies have established that essential metals, including manganese, selenium, magnesium, and copper, contribute to cardiovascular health due to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Higher manganese levels have previously been linked to a lower incidence of preeclampsia--a form of high blood pressure occurring during pregnancy. However, the long-term implications of these essential metals on midlife blood pressure had not been thoroughly examined until now.

Lead researcher Dr. Mingyu Zhang, an epidemiologist and instructor in medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, noted that while exposure to heavy metals and trace elements is a common concern, the impact of essential minerals during pregnancy on later blood pressure is gaining attention. The study aimed to determine how these essential elements influence midlife hypertension risk.

The research utilized data from Project Viva, a long-term study that began in 1999, involving women and their children from eastern Massachusetts. Close to 500 women enrolled in the study during early pregnancy between 1999 and 2002, providing blood samples for analysis of essential and non-essential metals, as well as vitamins like B12.

After nearly two decades, researchers revisited the participants for a midlife assessment between 2017 and 2021 when the average age of participants was around 51.2 years. Blood pressure measurements were recorded to establish potential associations between the presence of individual metals and blood pressure outcomes. Participants were classified as having high blood pressure if their readings exceeded 130/80 mm Hg or if they were using antihypertensive medication.

Key findings from the study revealed that:

  • Women who had doubling concentrations of copper and manganese during pregnancy had a 25% and 20% lower risk of developing high blood pressure, respectively, once adjustments for various sociodemographic variables were made.
  • Additionally, a doubling of vitamin B12 levels was associated with an average reduction of 3.64 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure and 2.52 mm Hg in diastolic blood pressure nearly two decades later.
  • The combined effects of copper, manganese, selenium, and zinc were also linked to lower blood pressure in a dose-dependent manner.
  • Interestingly, non-essential metals did not appear to have a significant influence on blood pressure levels.

Dr. Zhang emphasized that while these findings shed light on the potential benefits of optimizing essential minerals and vitamins during pregnancy, the study did not quantify the sources of these nutrients, such as dietary intake or supplementation. Hence, the results should not be interpreted as definitive recommendations.

Further research, including clinical trials, is imperative to ascertain optimal dietary requirements for these vital nutrients, with the ultimate goal of identifying women at heightened risk of hypertension in the future. Interventions during pregnancy, potentially through enhanced nutritional guidance or supplementation, could offer crucial support for long-term cardiovascular health.

Project Viva's analysis encompassed 493 women, who were tracked for nearly two decades to assess the impact of prenatal environmental and lifestyle factors on maternal and child health. The cohort primarily consisted of white women, with a small percentage from various ethnic backgrounds.

While the study provides valuable insights, limitations include its observational nature, which may leave room for confounding factors not accounted for, and the demographic homogeneity of the sample, which could affect the generalizability of the findings.


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