title: Peripheral arterial pulse wave analysis in women with pre-eclampsia and gestational hypertension.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare peripheral pulse pressure waveforms in normal pregnancy, gestational hypertension (GH) and pre-eclampsia (PE).
  
  
  METHODS
  Comparative study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary referral teaching hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women with hypertensive disease in pregnancy and matched normal pregnant controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women in the third trimester of pregnancy with newly developed PE (n= 27) or GH (n= 33) were studied by radial artery applanation tonometry. Values were compared with those for gestational age matched normal pregnant women (n= 39).
  
  
  METHODS
  Augmentation Index.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hypertension was of equal severity in PE and GH. Central augmentation pressure and augmentation index, indicating vasoconstriction, were mildly elevated in GH, but markedly elevated in PE.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Non-invasive applanation tonometry discriminates among normal pregnancy, GH and PE, and may be useful to predict PE.
authors.affiliation: Perinatal Research Group, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney at Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Mica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spasojevic
authors.forename: Simone A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Jonathan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: Eileen D M
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Gallery
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D046110:Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D011674:Pulse; D017534:Radial Artery / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000502:physiology