title: Androgen levels are associated with blood pressure in pregnant women after term.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess possible associations between androgen, estrogen and insulin levels and blood pressure in pregnant women after term, compared with the effect of other well-known factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University Hospital, Trondheim region.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four hundred and eighty-nine post-term women with uncomplicated pregnancies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood pressure measurements and fasting serum samples drawn one week beyond the estimated day of delivery (defined as 41(+2) weeks).
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood pressure, maternal age, body mass index, parity, smoking habits and serum levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, androstendione, free testosterone index, estradiol, estriol, progesterone, 17-hydroxy-progesterone and insulin.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In univariate linear regression analyses, body mass index, androstendione, free testosterone index and insulin were positively associated and parity was negatively associated with both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. In multivariate linear regression analyses, systolic blood pressure was positively associated with body mass index and free testosterone index, but negatively associated with parity and 17-hydroxy-progesterone levels, while diastolic blood pressure was positively associated with age and free testosterone index, but negatively associated with parity and 17-hydroxy-progesterone levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Testosterone may increase blood pressure in pregnant women, while 17-hydroxy-progesterone may have the opposite effect.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Endocrinology, Institute of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Trondheim, Norway. sven.carlsen@ntnu.no
authors.forename: Sven M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Carlsen
authors.forename: Runa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Heimstad
mesh_terms: D019326:17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000728:Androgens / Q000097:blood*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004967:Estrogens / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D016014:Linear Models; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011273:Pregnancy, Prolonged / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D004967:Estrogens; D007328:Insulin; D013739:Testosterone; D019326:17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone