Height and risk of severe pre-eclampsia. A study within the Danish National Birth Cohort.
BACKGROUND
Pre-eclampsia shares a number of risk factors with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Women with recurrent pre-eclampsia or pre-eclampsia early in pregnancy reportedly have an increased long-term risk of CVD. Short stature is a risk factor for CVD but has rarely been examined in relation to pre-eclampsia.


METHODS
We used data from 59 968 singleton live births in the Danish National Birth Cohort born between 1998 and 2001 to assess risk of severe pre-eclampsia/eclampsia (296 cases) in relation to self-reported height. We examined the association in multiple logistic regressions stratified by parity.


RESULTS
Among primiparas there was a weak association (compared with women <165 cm, women >172 cm had on OR of 0.79, 95% CI: 0.55, 1.14). Among multiparas, the tallest women had an adjusted OR of 0.42 (95% CI: 0.20, 0.87) of developing severe pre-eclampsia compared with women <165 cm. The OR per centimetre was 0.94 (95% CI: 0.91, 0.97). Self-reported pre-existing hypertension did not explain this association, which also persisted when the analysis was restricted to non-overweight women.


CONCLUSIONS
Short stature was associated with a higher risk of severe pre-eclampsia in multiparas participating in the Danish National Birth Cohort.
Basso
Olga
O
Department of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, Danish Epidemiology Science Centre, Aarhus University, Vennelyst Boulevard 6, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark. ob@soci.au.dk
Wilcox
Allen J
AJ
Weinberg
Clarice R
CR
Baird
Donna D
DD
Olsen
Jørn
J
D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D010298:Parity; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000209:etiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012306:Risk; D012907:Smoking