Changes in peripheral venous tone before the onset of hypertension in women with gestational hypertension.
Forearm venous tone was measured throughout pregnancy in 68 nulliparous women thought to be at high risk of the development of gestational hypertension. Normotensive pregnancy was associated with a progressive venodilatation. Gestational hypertension subsequently developed in 12 women. Before the onset of hypertension, these 12 women showed a greater degree of venodilatation, compared with women who remained normotensive throughout their pregnancies (p less than 0.001). As the hypertension became manifest, the women became relatively venoconstricted (p less than 0.001). Simple, noninvasive measurements of forearm venous tone provide important information about the pathophysiology of gestational hypertension and may be useful in the detection of women who are at increased risk.
Pickles
C J
CJ
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital, Nottingham, England.
Brinkman
C R
CR
Stainer
K
K
Cowley
A J
AJ
D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D005260:Female; D005542:Forearm / Q000098:blood supply; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014664:Vasodilation; D014680:Veins / Q000503:physiopathology*