Hypertension and factors associated with metabolic syndrome at follow-up at 15 years in women with hypertensive disease during first pregnancy.
OBJECTIVE
To study the possibility of identifiable factors at or close to pregnancy that could predict hypertension later in life. To evaluate if women with hypertensive disease in their first pregnancy and who later develop hypertension also have characteristics of the metabolic syndrome.


METHODS
Case control study of a cohort of women with hypertension diagnosed in first pregnancy (n = 46) and controls without hypertension in pregnancy (n = 47), studied 15 years after the index pregnancy. Blood pressure, antihypertensive drug treatment, body parameters, blood glucose, serum insulin, and serum lipids were analyzed.


RESULTS
In the study group, 43% had hypertension compared to 4% in the control group. Among the women in the study group with more than one pregnancy, there was a significantly higher prevalence of hypertension if pregnancy-induced hypertension was repeated in a later pregnancy. There were also significantly higher waist/hip ratios and fasting plasma levels of insulin in the study group.


CONCLUSIONS
Hypertension in pregnancy is a strong predictor of hypertension later in life. Other factors related to hypertension and present at pregnancy are not useful in selecting a high-risk group. In a proportion of cases, the metabolic syndrome might be related to the hypertensive disease in pregnancy.
Nordén Lindeberg
S
S
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Orebro Medical Center Hospital, Sweden.
Hanson
U
U
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology