Update on Preeclampsia and Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy

Abstract

There have been recent advances in the prevention, diagnosis, and management of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy which complicate approximately 16% of pregnancies in the United States. Initiation of low-dose aspirin by 16 weeks' gestation reduces preeclampsia in high-risk women. The Food and Drug Administration approved the use of the soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1/placental growth factor ratio for the short-term prediction of preeclampsia. Pregnancy outcomes are improved in women with chronic hypertension when antihypertensives are initiated at a threshold blood pressure of 140/90 mm Hg. Women with prior preeclampsia have increased cardiovascular disease risk and should receive risk reduction counseling.

Keywords: Aspirin; Cardiovascular disease; Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy; Preeclampsia; Women’s health.