Sitting too much and moving too little linked to heightened pre-eclampsia risk

Risk rose sharply with 10+ hours/day of sedentary time and under 5 hours of movement

Sitting too much and moving too little are linked to a heightened risk of serious pregnancy-related high blood pressure disorders, such as pre-eclampsia and eclampsia, finds a study of daily movement behaviours, published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Using high quality 24 hour activity trackers, the researchers measured levels of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity, light intensity physical activity, sedentary time and sleep in 470 US women for 7 days at a time in each trimester of their pregnancy.

Some 86 (18%) women developed a high blood pressure disorder. The lowest risk was associated with an average of 6 hours of sedentary behaviour, an average of 8 hours of light intensity physical activity, 7 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity and 10 hours of sleep, analysis of the data showed.

Risks rose sharply with 10 or more hours of sedentary behaviour and fewer than 5 hours of light physical activity, irrespective of trimester, the findings indicate.

“To achieve the greatest reduction in [pregnancy related high blood pressure disorders], it may be necessary to limit [sedentary time] to 8 hours per day with concurrent increases in [light intensity physical activity] to 7 hours per day,” in order to reduce the longer term cardiovascular disease risk, suggest the researchers.

Notes for editors
Research: Optimal 24-hour movement behaviour compositions across trimesters and risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: the Pregnancy 24/7 cohort study
Doi: 10.1136/bjsports- 2025-111091

External funding: National Institutes of Health