Comparison of vagal baroreflex function in nonpregnant women and in women with normal pregnancy, preeclampsia, or gestational hypertension.
OBJECTIVE
Our aim was to compare baroreflex function among nonpregnant women and among women with normal pregnancy, preeclampsia, or gestational hypertension.


METHODS
Baroreflex function was tested in 20 women with preeclampsia, in 20 age- and gestational age-matched normotensive gravid women, in 20 age-matched nonpregnant women, and in 20 nonmatched women with gestational hypertension. The baroreflex was measured by several modalities.


RESULTS
Vagal baroreflex gain measured by cross-spectral analysis of parallel spontaneous heart rate and blood pressure changes is significantly decreased in normal pregnancy (15.8 +/- 7.2 vs 10.8 +/- 4.1 ms/mm Hg; P = 0.001), in comparison with vagal baroreflex gain in nonpregnant women. Baroreflex gain is further reduced in preeclamptic pregnancy (10.8 +/- 4.1 vs 7.2 +/- 2.6 ms/mm Hg; P = 0.003) and in gestational hypertension (10.8 +/- 4.1 vs 6.5 +/- 2.7 ms/mm Hg; P = 0.001), compared with that in normal pregnancy. Similar differences were seen with other baroreflex testing modalities.


CONCLUSIONS
The normal reduction of baroreflex gain in pregnancy is further depressed in subjects with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
Silver
H M
HM
Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02905, USA.
Tahvanainen
K U
KU
Kuusela
T A
TA
Eckberg
D L
DL
D000328:Adult; D017704:Baroreflex / Q000502:physiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000502:physiology*; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012016:Reference Values; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*