Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers in Pregnancy: A Case Report and Systematic Review of the Literature

Abstract

Objective: To describe the case of a woman exposed to angiotensin-II receptor blockers (ARBs) in the preconceptional period and to systematically review the literature on the safety of these drugs when used by pregnant women. Methods: The case was identified at the Korean Motherisk Program (Seoul). For the systematic review, we searched the PubMed for case reports, case series, and post-marketing surveys. Results: A hypertensive woman was exposed to irbesartan prior to conception. The embryo had delayed development of upper and lower extremities and decreased digital groove. A karyotype identified a 45,XO Turner syndrome. The patient had a spontaneous abortion. Including the case reported here, 64 published cases were identified in total; 57.8% had favorable and 42.2% had unfavorable outcomes. Duration of treatment during pregnancy among women who had adverse fetal outcomes was 26.3 ± 10.5 weeks (mean ± SD), compared with 17.3 ± 11.6 weeks in those who had favorable outcomes (p = 0.04). Conclusions: Exposure to ARBs for a period longer than the first trimester of pregnancy appears to be associated with a high risk for adverse fetal outcomes.

Keywords:

• Angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers
• Antihypertensive agents
• Drug utilization review
• Sartans
• Teratogens
• Transplacental exposure