A large Japanese cohort study of 86,009 women indicates that higher fish consumption before and during pregnancy is associated with significantly reduced odds of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Pre-pregnancy fish intake correlated with 34% lower odds of early-onset disorders, particularly among first-time mothers. These dietary findings emerge as U.S. data shows doubling rates of gestational hypertension and European guidelines emphasize long-term postpartum cardiovascular risks.
Fish consumption and hypertensive disorder risk
- ▪A Japan Environment and Children's Study noted that associations between total n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy were weaker and less consistent than for whole fish intake.
- ▪In a Japan Environment and Children's Study published in September 2026, women in the highest fish-intake group during the year before pregnancy had 34% lower odds of early-onset hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
- ▪A Japan Environment and Children's Study involving 86,009 women examined whether fish consumption before and during pregnancy was associated with the risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
European Journal of Nutrition study findings
- ▪A study in the European Journal of Nutrition evaluated dietary fish and polyunsaturated fatty acid intake before pregnancy and during mid-to-late pregnancy across five intake quintiles.
- ▪Research published in the European Journal of Nutrition found higher fish intake during pregnancy was associated with lower odds of overall and late-onset hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
Trends in US hypertensive disorder incidence
- ▪A U.S. serial cross-sectional study in JAMA Network Open covering nearly 4 million women found that new-onset hypertensive disorder incidence doubled between 1995-1999 and 2015-2019 delivery cohorts.
- ▪In a study of birth certificate data from 1995 to 2019, women delivering between 2015 and 2019 faced a 59% greater risk of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy compared to 1995-1999.
Long-term health risks of pre-eclampsia
- ▪European Society of Cardiology guidelines highlight that women who experience pre-eclampsia face a 1.5 to 2.7 times higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease later in life.
- ▪The Nurses' Health Study II of 57,000 women showed that a history of pre-eclampsia raises long-term hypertension risk threefold and increases subsequent diabetes risk.
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