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. 2017 Jan;49(1):143-149.
doi: 10.1002/uog.17343.

Pre-eclampsia: an important risk factor for asymptomatic heart failure

C Ghossein-Doha  1 , J van Neer  1 , B Wissink  1 , N M Breetveld  1 , L J de Windt  2 , A P J van Dijk  3 , M J van der Vlugt  3 , M C H Janssen  4 , W M Heidema  5 , R R Scholten  5 , M E A Spaanderman  1
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Free article

Pre-eclampsia: an important risk factor for asymptomatic heart failure

C Ghossein-Doha et al. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2017 Jan.
Free article

Abstract

Objectives: Pre-eclampsia (PE) is associated with both postpartum structural asymptomatic heart disease (i.e. heart failure Stage B (HF-B)) and conventional cardiovascular (CV) risk factors. We aimed to evaluate the extent to which PE, adjusted for conventional CV risk factors, is associated independently with asymptomatic cardiac abnormalities postpartum.

Methods: In this cross-sectional cohort study, 107 formerly pre-eclamptic women and 41 women with uneventful previous pregnancy (controls) were invited for CV risk assessment 4-10 years postpartum. This included cardiac ultrasound, blood pressure (BP) measurement and evaluation of metabolic syndrome determinants. Asymptomatic structural and functional cardiac abnormalities were classified as HF-B, according to the American Heart Association guidelines. Prehypertension was defined as systolic BP of 120-139 mmHg and/or diastolic BP of 80-89 mmHg. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to calculate associations of PE and conventional risk factors with HF-B.

Results: The prevalence of asymptomatic HF-B was approximately 3.5-fold higher in the PE group compared with controls (25% vs 7%, P < 0.01); 67% of this group had concentric remodeling and 22% had mildly impaired ejection fraction. After adjustment for postpartum interval, hypertension and high-density lipoprotein, PE was significantly associated with HF-B (adjusted odds ratio, 4.4 (95% CI, 1.0-19.1)). Moreover, in the formerly pre-eclamptic group, prehypertension was associated significantly with HF-B (odds ratio, 4.3 (95% CI, 1.4-12.7)), while metabolic syndrome determinants were not.

Conclusion: PE is associated with a four-fold increased female-specific risk of asymptomatic cardiac abnormalities. Prehypertension apparently increases this risk significantly, while metabolic syndrome determinants do not. Copyright © 2016 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Keywords: heart failure; metabolic syndrome; pre-eclampsia; pregnancy; prehypertension.

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