title: Pathophysiology and medical management of systemic hypertension in pregnancy.
abstract: Hypertension in pregnancy includes a group of distinct disorders that require special consideration in both prevention and pharmacologic treatment. In recent years, there have been few advances regarding the pathophysiology and prevention of preeclampsia or in the recommendations for first-line drug therapy for its hypertensive complications. Similarly, the recommendations for pharmacologic treatment of women with chronic hypertension antedating pregnancy have changed little primarily because first-line medications have the advantage of having had more extensive research experience. Recent clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy and safety of various second-line drugs for the hypertensive disorders of pregnancy; whether these therapies can eventually replace the standard recommended medications will require more extensive long-term investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and, New York Medical College/Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA.
authors.forename: William H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Frishman
authors.forename: Stacy J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Schlocker
authors.forename: Ketti
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Awad
authors.forename: Nergesh
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tejani
mesh_terms: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D046110:Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents