Hypertension in pregnancy.
Hypertension in pregnancy is still one of the most important causes of maternal morbidity and mortality. Several different definitions are used, partly because the pathogenetic background to the hypertensive diseases of pregnancy is not known. Widely variable incidences have been reported in different populations, but a reasonable estimation is that less than 5% of pregnancies are complicated by clinically relevant blood pressure elevation. The treatment of hypertension in pregnancy has been a matter of debate, but in late pregnancy, there is agreement that delivery is the treatment of choice. In later years, antihypertensive drugs have been less used in mild or moderate hypertension in pregnancy. Low-dose aspirin may be useful as a preventive treatment in high-risk pregnancies, but final proof of this is still lacking. Long term follow-up of women with a hypertensive pregnancy is important, since a significant proportion of these women will develop later chronic (essential) hypertension, even if their blood pressure is completely normalised shortly after delivery.
Svensson
A
A
Department of Medicine, Ostra Hospital, University of Göteborg, Sweden.
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D015994:Incidence; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular; D009626:Terminology as Topic
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents