A history of preeclampsia identifies women who have underlying cardiovascular risk factors
Received 15 January 2008; received in revised form 2 May 2008; accepted 11 June 2008. published online 11 August 2008.
Objective
The objective of this study was to prospectively assess physical and biochemical cardiovascular risk markers in women who had developed preeclampsia (PE) at 1 year postpartum.
Study Design
Following an overnight fast, previously PE (n = 70) and normotensive women (n = 70) had weight and blood pressure recorded and levels of morning blood for insulin, glucose, C-reactive protein, lipids, cholesterol, and urine for microalbumin and creatinine measured. Body mass index, homeostatic model assessment index, and incidence of metabolic syndrome were determined.
Results
At 1 year postpartum, markers of cardiovascular disease were different between the groups. There were also differences in the number of women with abnormal values. Mathematical modeling of cardiovascular event risk suggests that PE increases the risk by 2- to 3-fold; the risk was greatest for women with severe PE.
Conclusion
The development of PE is 1 of the earliest clinically identifiable markers of a woman's heightened risk of cardiovascular disease.
aQueen's Perinatal Research Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kingston General Hospital, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
bOttawa Maternal Neonatal Investigators Research Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ottawa Hospital, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
cDepartments of Nephrology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
dSchool of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China
Reprints: Graeme N. Smith, MD, PhD, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kingston General Hospital, Queen's University, 76 Stuart St, Kingston, ON, Canada K7L 2V7
Cite this article as: Smith GN, Walker MC, Liu A, et al. A history of preeclampsia identifies women who have underlying cardiovascular risk factors. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2009;200:58.e1-58.e8.
This study was supported by Grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (FMI-63194) and the Heart and Stroke Foundation (PG-03-0175-PE-NET).
ABSTRACT