Light exercise and less sitting may reduce pregnant women’s risk of serious blood pressure complications, according to a new study.

Researchers have proposed a daily activity and sleep guide that they say was linked to a nearly 30 per cent lower risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

The suggested pattern includes fewer than eight hours of sedentary time, at least seven hours of light physical activity, around 22 minutes of more intense activity and nearly nine hours of sleep.

The University of Iowa-led study examined the daily behaviours of 470 pregnant women across all stages of pregnancy.

Participants wore monitors that measured physical activity over 24-hour periods and recorded how long they spent asleep.

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy include chronic high blood pressure, gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia.

Gestational hypertension is high blood pressure that develops during pregnancy, while pre-eclampsia is a potentially serious condition involving high blood pressure and signs that organs may be affected.

Sedentary behaviour means being mostly inactive, such as sitting or lying down.

Light physical activity can include casual walking, moving around the home or standing.

Moderate to vigorous activity includes movement such as brisk walking, where breathing and heart rate increase.

Kara Whitaker, associate professor in the department of health, sport, and human physiology at Iowa and corresponding author of the study, said: “We are identifying the optimal composition of movement behaviours across the day associated with the lowest risk of developing HDP and the most improved health outcomes.

“This blueprint holds for each and every trimester of pregnancy.”

Study participants were enrolled at sites in Iowa City, Pittsburgh and Morgantown, West Virginia.

The women wore activity and sleep monitors for at least one week during each trimester of pregnancy.

Four in five participants were non-Hispanic white and nearly a quarter lived in rural areas.

The data showed a steep rise in risk among pregnant women who were sedentary for more than 10 hours a day.

Women who increased light physical activity to at least four hours a day reduced their risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy to 15 per cent from 30 per cent.

Whitaker said: “Just moving around more seems to have significant health benefits.

“And I think it also may be a more feasible target for women who are pregnant who are not exercising regularly.”

The researchers said they were surprised that longer durations of moderate to vigorous physical activity did not appear to provide additional benefit.

Sleep beyond a certain duration also did not appear to bring major further benefits.

Whitaker said: “Through this study, we are providing evidence that reducing sedentary behaviour and engaging in light physical activity are important, and maybe more important, when it comes to pregnancy and health.”

The findings may be relevant beyond pregnancy because clinical research has shown that women who develop hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are more than twice as likely to develop heart disease later in life.

Cardiovascular disease includes conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels, such as heart disease and stroke.

Whitaker said: “We know that cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women, and if we can intervene in pregnancy and prevent women from developing a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, we are putting them on a better trajectory, away from cardiovascular disease and toward more optimal cardiovascular health.”

The study was published online on June 10.

A second study, published online on May 27, looked more closely at the ratio and type of sedentary behaviour and light physical activity linked to a lower risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

Whitaker is a lead co-author on that study.

Co-authors in the June 10 study include Alex Crisp, Jaemyung Kim, Karina Smith, Donna Santillan, Mark Santillan and Bridget Zimmerman, from Iowa; Jacob Gallagher, from Iowa State University; Melissa Jones, from Oakland University in Michigan; Bethany Barone Gibbs, Katrina Wilhite, Alexis Thrower and Iqra Sheikh, from West Virginia University; and Sabera Rahman, Janet Catov, Christopher Kline and Maisa Feghali, from the University of Pittsburgh.

The National Institutes of Health, the University of Iowa Institute for Clinical and Translational Science, the University of Pittsburgh Clinical and Translational Science Institute and the West Virginia Clinical and Translational Science Institute funded the research.

We are excited to reveal the winners of the third annual Femtech World Awards.

The winners were announced at a virtual event this afternoon attended by shortlisted companies, along with sponsors and judges.

The event welcomed guests from the UK, Europe, Asia, Africa and North America.

Thank you to all 174 entries, as well as the sponsors for making the event possible.

See you in 2027!

Femtech World Awards 2026 Winners

Winner:

Shortlisted:

IVI RMA x Juno Genetics

Natural Cycles

Winner:

Highly commended:

U-Ploid

Shortlisted:

Hello Inside

Winner:

WISE HF, led by Prof. Mary Ryder

Highly commended:

Cardiac College for Women

Shortlisted:

Hyvelle Ferguson-Davis

CognitiveCare

Winner:

Highly commended:

Youterus

Shortlisted:

ŌURA

Winner:

Shortlisted:

LeanShield by ParrotPal Group

Perigen

Winner:

Shortlisted:

Body Moody

Looop

Winner:

Shortlisted:

Owning Your Menopause

Womeno

Winner:

Shortlisted:

The Blue Box

Celbrea

Winner:

Shortlisted:

HealCycle

Mor

Winner:

Shortlisted:

HRC Fertility

Mira

The highest dose of an oral GLP-1 was linked to significant weight loss across menopause stages in post-hoc analyses of two late-stage trials.

The results suggest Foundayo may help women with obesity or overweight lose weight during premenopause, perimenopause and post-menopause.

Women taking the highest dose also saw reductions in waist circumference, a measure linked to abdominal fat and cardiometabolic risk.

The analyses were based on more than 1,500 female participants in the ATTAIN-1 and ATTAIN-2 clinical trials.

GLP-1 medicines mimic a hormone that helps regulate appetite and blood sugar. They are used in weight management and diabetes care.

Cardiometabolic risk means the likelihood of developing conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes.

The findings were presented at the American Diabetes Association’s 86th Scientific Sessions.

Eli Lilly and Company said women taking the highest dose of Foundayo, the brand name for orforglipron, achieved significant weight loss at every stage of menopause.

Orforglipron is a once-daily oral GLP-1 receptor agonist. Unlike injectable GLP-1 medicines, it is taken as a tablet.

Menopause is the point at which menstrual periods have permanently stopped. Perimenopause is the transition before menopause, when hormone levels and periods can change.

The company said menopause can contribute to weight gain, particularly around the abdomen, and may make weight loss harder to achieve and maintain.

Rachel Batterham, senior vice-president of medical innovation and external engagement at Lilly, said: “Menopause can be an incredibly frustrating time for many women, partly because weight gain often feels beyond their control, and the biology of menopause can undermine even the most determined efforts to manage weight.

“These findings show that Foundayo was associated with meaningful weight loss in women at every stage of menopause.

“For women who have seen their weight become harder to manage precisely when their health is more at risk, this is what progress could look like.”

In ATTAIN-1, women without diabetes who were premenopausal lost up to 12.8 per cent of their body weight after 72 weeks on the highest dose.

Women in perimenopause lost up to 14.4 per cent, while post-menopausal women lost up to 14.1 per cent.

This was equivalent to 28.0 lbs, 30.4 lbs and 28.2 lbs respectively.

At the highest dose, up to 51.5 per cent of women in ATTAIN-1 achieved at least 15 per cent weight loss.

Waist circumference fell by up to 4.9 inches in the trial.

In ATTAIN-2, which involved adults with obesity or overweight and type 2 diabetes, women also lost weight across menopause stages.

Premenopausal women lost up to 11.3 per cent of their body weight, perimenopausal women lost up to 8.9 per cent and post-menopausal women lost up to 13.6 per cent.

This was equivalent to 23.4 lbs, 18.5 lbs and 27.8 lbs respectively.

At the highest dose, up to 44.2 per cent of women in ATTAIN-2 achieved at least 15 per cent weight loss.

Waist circumference reductions reached up to 4.3 inches.

ATTAIN-1 was a 72-week phase 3 trial comparing three doses of Foundayo with placebo in adults with obesity, or overweight with at least one weight-related condition, who did not have diabetes.

ATTAIN-2 was a 72-week phase 3 trial in adults with obesity or overweight and type 2 diabetes.

A placebo is an inactive treatment used for comparison in a clinical trial.

Both trials tested the drug alongside lifestyle measures, including diet and physical activity.

The analyses were post-hoc, meaning they looked at the data after the trial results had already been collected.

Post-hoc analyses can help identify patterns, but they are generally considered less definitive than findings from trials designed specifically to answer that question.

Foundayo is approved by the FDA in the US for adults with obesity, or some adults with overweight and weight-related medical problems, to reduce excess body weight and maintain weight reduction alongside diet and physical activity.

The source material states that the drug should not be used with other GLP-1 receptor agonist medicines and that it is not known whether it is safe and effective in children.

It also states that oral birth control pills may not work as well while taking Foundayo, and that healthcare professionals may recommend another form of contraception for 30 days after starting the drug and for 30 days after each dose increase.

Common side effects listed in the source material include nausea, constipation, diarrhoea, vomiting, indigestion, abdominal pain, headache, swollen belly, tiredness, belching, heartburn, gas and hair loss.

The company said orforglipron is also being studied for type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnoea, osteoarthritis knee pain, hypertension, peripheral artery disease and stress urinary incontinence.