Significance of high-normal blood pressure during early second trimester for predicting the onset of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy

ABSTRACT

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the predictive value of high-normal blood pressure (HNBP) during the early second trimester for hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, including gestational hypertension (GH) and preeclampsia (PE). Methods: This was a retrospective single-center cohort study of 2143 singleton pregnant women. The association of HNBP, ranging from 130/85 to 139/89 mmHg between 14 and 19 weeks of gestation, with the development of hypertensive disorders was assessed by multivariable logistic regression analyses. Results: In a cohort of 2102 pregnant women, 93 (4.4%) pregnancies had HNBP during early second trimester. Pregnant women with HNBP more frequently developed hypertensive disorders than normotensive women (20.4% vs. 8.2%, p < 0.001). HNBP was significantly associated with the development of GH (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.81; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.16–3.25, p = 0.015) and PE (aOR: 6.05; 95% CI: 3.46–12.6, p = 0.013) after adjustment for confounders. Conclusion: HNBP during the early second trimester is an independent risk factor for both GH and PE.

KEYWORDS:

• Early second trimester
• gestational hypertension
• high-normal blood pressure
• preeclampsia

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the study participants for their contribution to clinical research.

Conflict of interest

No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.