title: OS105. Increased left ventricular mass index in normotensive formerly preeclamptic women is associated with the later development of chronic hypertension.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A history of preeclampsia is associated with a 4-fold increased risk to develop chronic hypertension later in life. Interestingly, preeclampsia and chronic hypertension share the presence of increased left ventricular mass and increased left atrial diameter. Whether these increases are also present in the preclinical phase of chronic hypertension in women with a history of preeclampsia is still unknown.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate whether increased left ventricular mass index and/or left atrial widening in normotensive formerly preeclamptic women are associated with the development of chronic hypertension.
  
  
  METHODS
  324 Women with a history of preeclampsia, who were normotensive at the time of a diagnostic work-up 4 months postpartum, were included in this study. The tests employed included cardiac ultrasound and blood pressure measurements. Left ventricular mass was indexed (LVMi) for length in meters(2.7). To follow up on the health state, we send a health checklist to each screened former patient once every two years. The information of the diagnostic work-up and the one of the returned checklists were used for the statistical analysis by Uni- and Multivariate Cox regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women who had developed chronic hypertension during a medium follow-up period of 6 years showed a significant Hazard Ratio (HR) of 1.11 (95% CI 1.03-1.18) for Left ventricular mass index, 1.13 (95% CI 1.06-1.20) for diastolic BP, 1.07 (95% CI 1.02-1.11) for systolic BP, 1.05 (95% CI 1.01-1.10) for Heart Rate and 0.215 (95% CI 0.055-0.848) for EA ratio. The multivariate top-down analysis showed a significant HR only for LVMi and diastolic BP, 1.08 (95% CI 1.00-1.18) and 1.10 (95% CI 1.02-1.19), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased diastolic blood pressure and increased LVMi in normotensive formerly preeclamptic women are both associated with the development of chronic hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Obst & Gyn, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, Netherlands.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ghossein
authors.affiliation: Obst & Gyn, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, Netherlands.
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Heijster
authors.affiliation: Obst & Gyn, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, Netherlands.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Spaan
authors.affiliation: Obst & Gyn, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, Netherlands.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spaanderman
authors.affiliation: Obst & Gyn, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, Netherlands.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Peeters