Family history of early-onset cardiovascular disorders is associated with a higher risk of severe preeclampsia.
OBJECTIVE
The aim was to evaluate familial early-onset cardiovascular disorders as potential risk factors for severe preeclampsia.


METHODS
A case-control study was carried out by interviewing 162 primiparous severely preeclamptic women and 521 primiparous healthy control patients after delivery to determine the frequency of cardiovascular disorders (chronic hypertension, myocardial infarction, stroke) developed before the age of 50 among their parents. The chi2-test was utilized to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). The association was adjusted for pre-pregnancy body mass index, maternal age, and smoking habits before pregnancy using logistic regression analysis.


RESULTS
Maternal and paternal early-onset chronic hypertension (adjusted OR: 3.84, 95% CI: 2.25-6.54; and adjusted OR: 3.26, 95% CI: 1.76-6.05) as well as paternal early-onset myocardial infarction (adjusted OR: 3.33; 95% CI: 1.51-7.32) were independent risk factors for severe preeclampsia. Early-onset stroke affected only the fathers of severely preeclamptic patients. Among the severely preeclamptic patients a positive family history of cardiovascular disorders developed before the age of 50 increased the risk of early-onset preeclampsia (developing before the 32nd gestational week) by 5.05-fold (95% CI: 3.08-8.31) compared with the control group.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that the presence of familial early-onset cardiovascular disorders is a predisposing factor for severe preeclampsia.
Rigó
János
J
1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Semmelweis University, 1088 Budapest, Baross utca 27, Hungary.
Boze
Tamás
T
Derzsy
Zoltán
Z
Derzbach
László
L
Treszl
András
A
Lázár
Levente
L
Sobel
Gábor
G
Vásárhelyi
Barna
B