Hypertension in pregnancy.
Hypertension in pregnancy is associated with increased risk of perinatal morbidity and mortality. At high blood pressure levels, there is a risk of maternal cerebrovascular lesions and death. Probably less than 5% of all pregnancies in western Europe are complicated by elevated blood pressure. Profound haemodynamic and hormonal changes occur during a normal pregnancy. In some respects, pregnancy-induced hypertension can be regarded as a deficient adaptation to the state of pregnancy. The pathogenesis of pregnancy-induced hypertension is not clear, and there is good reason to assume that this is not a homogeneous entity with a simple pathogenetic background. The treatment of hypertension in pregnancy has been a matter of debate, but the treatment of choice in late pregnancy is delivery. In the long-term perspective, women who have had a hypertensive pregnancy run a substantial risk of developing future essential hypertension, and their children have slightly raised blood pressure at an early age.
Svensson
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Department of Medicine, Ostra Hospital, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D006728:Hormones / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy
D006728:Hormones