Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy: risk factors and epidemiologic analysis.
OBJECTIVE
To measure the incidence of preeclampsia-eclampsia and its perinatal mortality as they appear in the two major ethnic groups in Thrace: Christian Orthodox and Muslims.


METHODS
Incidence and perinatal mortality of preeclampsia-eclampsia were studied retrospectively on all women managed in our clinic for hypertensive disorders in pregnancy who were delivered of a stillborn or healthy neonate between 1986 and 1999. We also compared the prevalence of certain risk factors of the disease as they appear in the above-mentioned distinct ethnic groups.


RESULTS
The total incidence of preeclampsia-eclampsia in Thrace was 2.3% and the total perinatal mortality 6.4%. Both variables presented higher values and severe preeclampsia-eclampsia had greater prevalence in the Muslim population. Most risk factors presented statistically significant differences between Christians and Muslims (chi2 test, p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
There was an ethnic variation in most epidemiologic variables of hypertensive disorders in Thrace between Christians and Muslims.
Anastasiadis
P
P
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Democritus University of Thrace, General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Alexandroupolis, Greece.
Tsikouras
P
P
Galazios
G
G
Liberis
V
V
Grapsas
X
X
Koutlaki
N
N
Anastasiadis
A F
AF
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D033003:Eastern Orthodoxy; D005260:Female; D046689:Fetal Mortality / Q000208:ethnology*; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007226:Infant Mortality / Q000208:ethnology*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007514:Islam; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors