Therapy of non-preeclamptic hypertension in pregnancy

Abstract

The poor perinatal outcome of pregnant women with chronic hypertension depends on their increased susceptibility to superimposed preeclampsia. There is no direct evidence that this is mediated by hypertension and reduced by antihypertensive treatment. In particular, the arterial lesions of the uteroplacental circulation in preeclampsia also occur in normotensive individuals and would be unusual types of pressure-induced injury. Thus, there is no compelling reason for treating hypertension below a threshold (170/110 mm Hg) above which maternal safety becomes the main concern.