title: Prediction of pregnancy-induced hypertension by means of the urinary calcium:creatinine ratio.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the importance of the urinary calcium:creatinine ratio as a prognostic marker for pregnancy-induced hypertension.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study which measured the urinary calcium:creatinine ratio at 20-30 weeks' gestation. Patients' medical records were examined, blind to all urinary assay results, to determine the development of pre-eclampsia or gestational hypertension.
  
  
  METHODS
  A first-morning urine sample was collected from 456 normotensive pregnant women, at 20-30 weeks' gestation, attending a hospital maternity outpatients' clinic for routine antenatal care.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean urinary calcium:creatinine ratio for women (n = 392) with a normotensive outcome of pregnancy, 0.52 (SD 0.32), was not significantly different from the ratios in those women who developed pre-eclampsia (n = 16), 0.49 (SD 0.32) or gestational hypertension (n = 48), 0.57 (SD 0.41). Significant risk factors for development of gestational hypertension, as estimated by logistic regression, were mean arterial blood pressure greater than 87.6 mmHg, Caucasian race, non-smoking and nulliparity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Within the cohort studied, the calcium:creatinine ratio measured in asymptomatic women at 20-30 weeks' gestation was an unsatisfactory prognostic marker for development of pregnancy-induced hypertension. The major interpopulation, as well as intrapopulation, variation in calcium levels suggests that previous reported findings may not be readily generalised.
authors.affiliation: Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woodville, SA.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Raniolo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Phillipou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002118:Calcium / Q000652:urine*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003404:Creatinine / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000652:urine; D015994:Incidence; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000175:diagnosis; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000652:urine; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012044:Regression Analysis
chemical_list: D003404:Creatinine; D002118:Calcium