Effect of Isometric Handgrip Exercise on Blood Pressure in Pregnant Women
GRIP4HEALTH
1 other identifier
interventional
30
1 country
1
Brief Summary
Hypertension during pregnancy is a major public health concern, increasing the risk of cardiovascular complications for both the mother and the fetus. Women with chronic hypertension are at higher risk of adverse outcomes, and elevated blood pressure during pregnancy has also been associated with long-term cardiovascular and cognitive impairments.Regular physical activity is recognized as an effective non-pharmacological strategy to reduce blood pressure. Among different exercise modalities, isometric exercise has shown promising effects in lowering blood pressure in the general population, with minimal cardiovascular strain. However, its effects and safety in pregnant women, particularly those with hypertension, remain poorly understood.In addition to cardiovascular alterations, hypertension during pregnancy may also impact cognitive function, potentially through changes in cerebral perfusion and vascular function. Despite these associations, the combined cardiovascular and cognitive responses to exercise in this population have not been fully explored.This study aims to investigate the effects of isometric handgrip exercise on cardiovascular and cognitive responses in pregnant women with and without chronic hypertension, in order to better understand its potential as a safe and effective non-pharmacological intervention during pregnancy.
Trial Health
Trial Health Score
Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach
participants targeted
Target at below P25 for not_applicable pregnancy
Started Mar 2026
1 active site
Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.
Trial Relationships
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Study Timeline
Key milestones and dates
Study Start
First participant enrolled
March 6, 2026
CompletedFirst Submitted
Initial submission to the registry
May 6, 2026
CompletedFirst Posted
Study publicly available on registry
May 26, 2026
CompletedPrimary Completion
Last participant's last visit for primary outcome
August 31, 2027
ExpectedStudy Completion
Last participant's last visit for all outcomes
September 30, 2027
May 26, 2026
May 1, 2026
1.5 years
May 6, 2026
May 21, 2026
Conditions
Keywords
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcomes (1)
Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (ambulatory blood pressure measurement)
Post-exercise hypotension, using the Mobil-O-Graph (mmHg).
After sessions (24 hours)
Secondary Outcomes (5)
Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (resting)
Before and after sessions (15 minutes)
Central blood pressure
Baseline and post-intervention during sessions (30 minutes)
Pulse wave velocity
Baseline
Heart rate
Basline, before and after sessions (15 minutes)
Cognitive Performance
Baseline
Study Arms (2)
Normotensive Pregnant Women
OTHERPregnant women without chronic hypertension. Participants in this arm complete both the isometric handgrip exercise session and the control rest session in randomized order.
Hypertensive Pregnant Women
OTHERPregnant women with chronic untreated hypertension. Participants in this arm complete both the isometric handgrip exercise session and the control rest session in randomized order.
Interventions
Isometric handgrip exercise performed at 30% of maximal voluntary contraction, consisting of four 2-minute contractions with one-minute rest intervals between efforts. The exercise is performed using a handgrip dynamometer.
Seated rest condition without exercise, used as a control comparison to the isometric handgrip intervention.
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if:
- Pregnant women covered by the French National Health Insurance system
- Pregnant women who do not object to participation in the study
- Women belonging to one of the following two groups:
- Women with chronic hypertension present before pregnancy (diagnosed within the past 5 years), defined as systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥ 140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ≥ 90 mmHg, without antihypertensive treatment
- Normotensive pregnant women, defined as systolic blood pressure (SBP) \< 140 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) \< 90 mmHg before pregnancy
You may not qualify if:
- Current treatment for chronic or gestational hypertension
- Known cardiovascular disease other than chronic hypertension
- Age under 18 years
- Persons deprived of liberty
- Inability to speak or adequately understand French
- Persons hospitalized without consent who are not subject to legal protection measures, and persons admitted to a health or social institution for purposes other than research
- Persons currently excluded from participation in another research study
- Persons under judicial protection or guardianship Type 1 or type 2 diabetes
- Severe or extreme obesity (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m²)
- Thyroid disease
- Heavy smoking
Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.
Sponsors & Collaborators
Study Sites (1)
Faculty of Sport Science - MOVE Laboratory - UR 20296
Poitiers, 86000, France
MeSH Terms
Conditions
Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Central Study Contacts
Study Design
- Study Type
- interventional
- Phase
- not applicable
- Allocation
- RANDOMIZED
- Masking
- NONE
- Purpose
- PREVENTION
- Intervention Model
- CROSSOVER
- Sponsor Type
- OTHER
- Responsible Party
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
- PI Title
- Dr
Study Record Dates
First Submitted
May 6, 2026
First Posted
May 26, 2026
Study Start
March 6, 2026
Primary Completion (Estimated)
August 31, 2027
Study Completion (Estimated)
September 30, 2027
Last Updated
May 26, 2026
Record last verified: 2026-05
Data Sharing
- IPD Sharing
- Will not share