Gestational Hypertension: A Contemporary Review of Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, and Therapeutic Approaches

Abstract

Gestational hypertension and preeclampsia are frequently encountered conditions in pregnancy, often occurring around the time of delivery. Mild cases of these conditions in the near term typically result in few complications for both the mother and the newborn. However, women diagnosed with gestational hypertension or preeclampsia need careful monitoring of both maternal and fetal well-being throughout pregnancy, and those with severe symptoms should receive hospital- based management. Preeclampsia is associated with endothelial dysfunction in the mother, prolonged immunological activation, fetal development limitation, hypertension with or without proteinuria, and endothelial dysfunction after week twenty of pregnancy. Pregnancy-related hypertension raises concerns, although the main issues are related to the progression of the condition to pre-eclampsia or eclampsia and HELLP syndrome. In this review, the cross-sectional study of gestational hypertension is evaluated, and the treatment approaches are highlighted.

Keywords: Gestational hypertension; elevated liver enzymes and low platelets; hemolysis; preeclampsia; pregnancy induced hypertension; proteinuria..