Body composition of patients with hypertensive complications during pregnancy.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the body composition of women with the diagnoses of gestational hypertension or preeclampsia.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study, including four groups of patients who were in the third trimester: those with an uncomplicated pregnancy (n = 110), those with a diagnosis of gestational hypertension (n = 38), those with mild preeclampsia (n = 8), and those with severe preeclampsia (n = 11). Their fat mass, fat-free mass, and total body water were estimated by bioelectric impedance.


RESULTS
The fat mass was 20 +/- 7 kg in the control group and 26 +/- 13 kg in the group with gestational hypertension (p < 0.05). The total body water was 36 +/- 6 L in the control group, 50 +/- 10 L in the patients with gestational hypertension, 52 +/- 10 L in those with mild preeclampsia, and 48 +/- 9 L in those with severe preeclampsia (p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that maternal body composition shows significant differences in patients with hypertensive complications during pregnancy. These data may be related to a possible inadequate distribution of the volume of water as a result of alterations in capillary permeability.
Levario-Carrillo
Margarita
M
Unidad de Investigación Médica en Epidemiología Clínica, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Chihuahua, Mexico. margarita.levario@imss.gob.mx
Avitia
Martha
M
Tufiño-Olivares
Edith
E
Trevizo
Elsa
E
Corral-Terrazas
Martha
M
Reza-López
Sandra
S
D000328:Adult; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology*; D001834:Body Water / Q000502:physiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D017097:Electric Impedance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D046110:Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy