Family history of hypertension as an important risk factor for the development of severe preeclampsia.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the risk of preeclampsia in a population with respect to maternal and sister histories of chronic hypertension, preeclampsia and eclampsia.


METHODS
A case-control study of severe preeclampsia.


METHODS
Maternity hospital in Natal, Brazil.


METHODS
A total of 412 subjects were enrolled, 148 cases and 264 controls.


METHODS
Personal and familial histories of hypertensive disorders. Odds ratio estimates of preeclampsia with respect to family history of hypertensive diseases.


RESULTS
Women with a history of hypertensive disorders were more frequent in the case group (p = 0.001). Women whose mothers had a history of hypertension (p = 0.003), preeclampsia (p = 0.007) or eclampsia (p = 0.038) were at increased risk of severe preeclampsia. The risk of preeclampsia was greater when the woman had a sister with a history of hypertension (OR 2.60, 95% CI 1.60-4.21, p < 0.001), preeclampsia (OR 2.33, 95% CI 1.58-3.45, p < 0.001), or eclampsia (OR 2.57, 95% CI 1.28-5.16, p = 0.008). The risk of preeclampsia was also higher for women who had both a mother and sister with a history of hypertension (OR 3.65, 95% CI 1.65-8.09, p = 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
A family history of hypertensive disorders increased the risk of eclampsia and hemolysis elevated liver enzymes and low platelet (HELLP) syndrome in a Brazilian population.
Bezerra
Patricia C F M
PC
Health Graduate Program, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
Leão
Marcos D
MD
Queiroz
José W
JW
Melo
Edailna M D
EM
Pereira
Flávio V M
FV
Nóbrega
Maria Hebe
MH
Jeronimo
Ana K
AK
Ferreira
Leonardo C
LC
Jerônimo
Selma M B
SM
de Araújo
Ana Cristina P F
AC
D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015984:Causality; D015897:Comorbidity; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D015994:Incidence; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011336:Probability; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D055815:Young Adult