American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Volume 198, Issue 5 , Pages e11-e13, May 2008

Preeclampsia as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease later in life: validation of a preeclampsia questionnaire

  • Courtenay L. Diehl, MD

      Affiliations

    • Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
    • ,
  • Brian C. Brost, MD

      Affiliations

    • Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
    • ,
  • Marie C. Hogan, MD

      Affiliations

    • Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
    • ,
  • Ahmad A. Elesber, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
    • ,
  • Keneth P. Offord, MS

      Affiliations

    • Biostatistics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.
    • ,
  • Stephen T. Turner, MD

      Affiliations

    • Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
    • ,
  • Vesna D. Garovic, MD

      Affiliations

    • Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprints not available from the authors. Address correspondence to Vesna D. Garovic, MD, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905.

Received 27 July 2007; received in revised form 6 September 2007; accepted 19 September 2007. published online 13 February 2008.

Objective

This study was undertaken to validate a self-administered questionnaire in verifying the diagnosis of preeclampsia, eclampsia, or toxemia in a group of women with a greater than 20-year history of preeclampsia.

Study Design

Questionnaires were mailed to a random sample of 144 women who received a diagnosis of any of these 3 conditions and 158 women who had normotensive pregnancies at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, from 1960-1979.

Results

A previous diagnosis of preeclampsia, eclampsia, or toxemia was verified with 80% sensitivity and 96% specificity.

Conclusion

Our validated questionnaire may be a useful research tool in identifying women with a previous history of preeclampsia. Women with a history of preeclampsia had a higher prevalence of future hypertension than those with a history of normotensive pregnancy.

Key words: eclampsia, preeclampsia, questionnaire, toxemia, validation

 

PII: S0002-9378(07)01182-9

doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2007.09.038

American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Volume 198, Issue 5 , Pages e11-e13, May 2008

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