The UAB-led Chronic Hypertension and Pregnancy (CHAP) trial has been named one of the New England Journal of Medicine’s (NEJM) Notable Articles of 2022.
Each year, NEJM editors select a collection of articles to be recognized as “notable” from the previous year. Many of the 2022 articles selected received extensive news coverage, one being the CHAP trial.
The CHAP trial, led by principal investigator Alan Tita, M.D., Ph.D., was initially published in the NEJM in April 2022. The study provides, for the first time, evidence that treating mild chronic hypertension with medications is both safe and beneficial for the mother and the baby.
“Chronic hypertension causes serious and life-threatening complications for pregnant women and their babies,” said Tita, Mary Heersink Endowed Chair in Global Health and associate dean for Global and Women's Health.
The groundbreaking study provides evidence-based data for treating non-severe forms of chronic hypertension by prescribing blood pressure medication to pregnant women. According to an article by UAB News, the trial results “showed this treatment improved pregnancy outcomes without compromising the baby’s grown and overall health.”
The CHAP trial received widespread coverage and promotion by numerous national and international organizations and publications, including the National Institutes of Health, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Drugs.com, the American College of Cardiology, and more.
The CHAP trial consortium, led by UAB, included over 60 clinical sites across the United States.
Other UAB investigators involved in the trial include Jeff Szychowski, Ph.D., professor and interim chair of the Department of Biostatistics and principal investigator of the Data Coordinating Center for CHAP; Suzanne Oparil, M.D., professor in the Division of Cardiovascular Disease; Gary Cutter, Ph.D., emeritus professor in the Department of Biostatistics; Namasivayam Ambalavanan, M.D., professor and co-director of the Division of Neonatology; and William Andrews, M.D., Ph.D., professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Tita also serves as the director of the Center for Women’s Reproductive health and is a professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.