title: History of preeclampsia is more predictive of cardiometabolic and cardiovascular risk factors than obesity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine to what extent a history of preeclampsia affects traditional cardiometabolic (insulin resistance and dyslipidemia) and cardiovascular (hypertension and micro-albuminuria) risk factors of the metabolic syndrome irrespective of BMI.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a retrospective case-control study we compared 90 formerly preeclamptic women, divided in 3 BMI-classes (BMI 19.5-24.9, 25.0-29.9, ≥30.0kg/m(2)) to 30 controls, matched for BMI, age and parity. Cardiometabolic and cardiovascular risk factors (WHO-criteria) were tested 6-18 months post partum. Statistical analysis included unpaired t-tests, Mann-Whitney U test, or Chi square test and two-way ANOVA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Constituents of the metabolic syndrome (glucose, insulin, HOMAIR, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, micro-albuminuria) were higher in formerly preeclamptic women than in BMI-matched controls. Resultantly, traditional risk factors were more prevalent in formerly preeclamptic women than in controls (insulin resistance 80% vs 30%, dyslipidemia 52% vs 3%, hypertension 24% vs 0%, micro-albuminuria 30% vs 0%). Cardiometabolic risk factors increased with BMI, to the same extent in both groups. Formerly preeclamptic women had metabolic syndrome more often than their BMI-matched controls (38% vs 3%, p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Traditional risk factors of the metabolic syndrome are more prevalent in formerly preeclamptic women than in BMI-matched controls and increase with BMI to the same extent in both groups. A history of preeclampsia seems to be a stronger indicator of cardiovascular risk than obesity per se.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Radboud University Medical Centre, The Netherlands. Electronic address: wieteke.heidema@radboudumc.nl.
authors.forename: Wieteke M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Heidema
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Radboud University Medical Centre, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ralph R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Scholten
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Radboud University Medical Centre, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Fred K
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Lotgering
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marc E A
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Spaanderman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000419:Albuminuria / Q000652:urine; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D007328:Insulin; D014280:Triglycerides
keywords: Cardiometabolic; Cardiovascular; Metabolic syndrome; Obesity; Preeclampsia