Nifedipine outperforms labetalol: A comparative analysis of hypertension management in black pregnancies.

BACKGROUND: Nifedipine has previously exhibited superior efficacy to labetalol in managing hypertension in the non-pregnant Black population, establishing itself as a first-line treatment option. However, the unique challenges of hypertension during pregnancy, especially prevalent in Black individuals, remain underexplored in terms of effective medication choices. This gap highlights the need for targeted research on antihypertensive efficacy specifically within this population. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of nifedipine versus labetalol in managing blood pressure in Black pregnancies. The primary measure is the mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure trajectories throughout pregnancy, determining the superiority of nifedipine in this context. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study was conducted at a multi-center institution in the metropolitan Detroit area, encompassing data from 1,235 Black pregnancies affected by chronic hypertension between 2015 and 2022. Mean blood pressure trajectories during pregnancy were fit by linear mixed effects model with a random intercept and time effect. RESULTS: Patients on nifedipine had an estimated 2.08 mmHg lower mean systolic and 1.60 mmHg lower mean diastolic blood pressure compared to those on labetalol, with significant p-values of 0.040 and 0.028. Additionally, nifedipine users were less likely to need increased doses, with an odds ratio of 0.28 (95 % CI: 0.19-0.40, p < 0.001) compared to labetalol users. CONCLUSION: This study provides compelling evidence that nifedipine outperforms labetalol in managing blood pressure during Black pregnancies. These findings suggest that the initiation of nifedipine should be considered in the management of chronic hypertension among Black pregnant individuals, offering a potentially more effective treatment option.

Hypospadias risk associated with chronic hypertension during pregnancy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Previous studies have suggested that hypertensive disorders of pregnancy increase risk of hypospadias, but so far none have focused on the influence of maternal chronic hypertension (CH). This study aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of currently available observational data to assess the association of maternal CH with hypospadias risk. METHODS: Literature searches were performed using EMBASE, SCOPUS, Pubmed, and manual methods according to PRISMA 2020 guidelines and MOOSE checklist. Eligible articles were included in the study and assessed for quality using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Extracted data were presented in review tables. Pooled analysis for unadjusted and adjusted effect sizes was used to determine OR and 95%CI using DerSimonian and Laird model. Heterogeneity was tested using I2 test, and publication bias was examined using funnel plots. Sensitivity analyses are done to address uncertainties. RESULTS: Searches yielded a total of 1130 publications with six eligible studies and high NOS quality score (6-9) were selected as depicted in extended summary figure. There were 519 hypospadias patients with maternal CH among those six eligible studies for analysis. After sensitivity analysis, there is one study that is excluded due to different hypospadias definition. Among the 5 remaining studies, it is found that there is an elevated risk of hypospadias in the context of maternal CH as determined by pooled unadjusted and adjusted OR (OR 1.50 95%CI 1.17-1.93; aOR 1.77 95%CI 1.54-2.04 respectively). Heterogeneity was high in unadjusted pooled analysis (I2 = 73% P = 0.005) and low in adjusted analysis (I2 = 0% P = 0.40)). Funnel plots were symmetrical in both analyses indicating a lack of publication bias. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis indicates that maternal CH increases risk of hypospadias in male offspring. Future studies should weigh in biological mechanisms and pharmacological effects to elaborate the pathogenesis of this association.

Antihypertensive Medication Prescription Dispensation Among Pregnant Women in the United States: A Cohort Study.

IMPORTANCE: Hypertension is increasingly common in pregnancy capable individuals, yet there is limited data on antihypertensive medication dispensation in peripartum individuals. OBJECTIVE: To describe antihypertensive medication dispensation from preconception through the first year postpartum. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This retrospective cohort study used the Truven Health MarketScan administrative data from 2008 through 2014 to identify women in the United States with commercial or government health insurance, aged 15-54, free from heart disease, who experienced a pregnancy and filled at least one prescription for an antihypertensive medication between three months prior to conception and 12 months after the end of the pregnancy. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: We describe antihypertensive dispensation patterns (continuation, initiation, and discontinuation) by medication class during five time periods: preconception, first, second, and third trimesters, and the first year postpartum. RESULTS: Of 1,058,521 pregnancies, 108,614 (10.3%) were exposed to at least one antihypertensive medication dispensation. The most commonly dispensed medications across all periods combined were adrenergic blockers, calcium channel blockers (CCBs), and diuretics. Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitors were the third most dispensed medication class in the preconception period (26.4%), and fills decreased to 5.7% and 1.7% in the second and third trimesters, respectively. Of the women with chronic hypertension who filled at least one prescription prior to conception, 8.4% were not dispensed an antihypertensive medication during the first year after delivery. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Antihypertensive prescription dispensation of both preferred and potentially harmful agents is common in pregnancy capable individuals. Patterns of dispensation suggest room for improvement in the treatment of chronic hypertension after a pregnancy.

Prevalence and outcome of chronic hypertension and its complications with gestational diabetes. / æ ¢æ€§é«˜è¡€åŽ‹åŠå ¶åˆå¹¶å¦Šå¨ æœŸç³–å°¿ç— çš„æ‚£ç— çŽ‡å’Œå¦Šå¨ ç»“å±€.

OBJECTIVES: With the full liberalization of China's fertility policy, the gradual increase in maternal age during pregnancy, and the rising proportion of overweight and obesity among women of childbearing age, the number of pregnant women with chronic hypertension (CHTN) combined with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is increasing, leading to a significantly increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. This study aims to analyze the prevalence of CHTN and CHTN complications with GDM, and compare the adverse pregnancy outcomes between the 2 conditions, providing a basis for intervention measures. METHODS: This study was a prospective cohort study. A total of 378 366 cases from a large cohort of pregnant women between January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2020 were screened to identify 1 418 cases of pregnant women with CHTN, among which 1 027 were cases of CHTN alone and 391 were cases of CHTN combined with GDM. SAS9.4 was used to statistically analyze the basic characteristics, clinical data, and pregnant outcomes of pregnant women and to analyze the risk factors affecting the pregnancy outcomes of patients with CHTN and its complications with GDM. RESULTS: The prevalence rate of CHTN with pregnancy was 3.8‰, and the prevalence rate of CHTN combined with GDM was 1.0‰. Patients with CHTN combined with GDM accounted for 27.57% (391/1 418) of all pregnant women with CHTN. Maternal age, number of pregnancies, parity, previous cesarean section, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and mean arterial pressure at the time of enrollment were statistically significant differences between the 2 groups (all P<0.05). After adjusting for potential confounding factors such as maternal age, parity, and number of pregnancies, binary Logistic regression analysis showed that pregnant women with CHTN combined with GDM had a 1.348 times higher risk of cesarean section (OR=1.348, 95% CI 1.043 to 1.741), a 2.029 times higher risk of placental adhesion (OR=2.029, 95% CI 1.190 to 3.462), a 1.540 times higher risk of preeclampsia (OR=1.540, 95% CI 1.101 to 2.152), and a 2.670 times higher risk of macrosomia (OR=2.670, 95% CI 1.398 to 5.100) compared to pregnant women with CHTN alone. CONCLUSIONS: Pregnant women with CHTN combined with GDM have a high risk, and their pregnancy outcomes differ from those of pregnant women with CHTN alone in terms of cesarean section, placental adhesion, preeclampsia, and macrosomia. Prenatal care for this population, especially the management of blood pressure and blood sugar, needs to be given special attention.

Intraoperative hypotension associated with postoperative acute kidney injury in hypertension patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common surgical complication and is associated with intraoperative hypotension. However, the total duration and magnitude of intraoperative hypotension associated with AKI remains unknown. In this study, the causal relationship between the intraoperative arterial pressure and postoperative AKI was investigated among chronic hypertension patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery. Methods: A retrospective cohort study of 6552 hypertension patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery (2011 to 2019) was conducted. The primary outcome was AKI as diagnosed with the Kidney Disease-Improving Global Outcomes criteria and the primary exposure was intraoperative hypotension. Patients' baseline demographics, pre- and post-operative data were harvested and then analyzed with multivariable logistic regression to assess the exposure-outcome relationship. Results: Among 6552 hypertension patients, 579 (8.84%) had postoperative AKI after non-cardiac surgery. The proportions of patients admitted to ICU (3.97 vs. 1.24%, p < 0.001) and experiencing all-cause death (2.76 vs. 0.80%, p < 0.001) were higher in the patients with postoperative AKI. Moreover, the patients with postoperative AKI had longer hospital stays (13.50 vs. 12.00 days, p < 0.001). Intraoperative mean arterial pressure (MAP) < 60 mmHg for >20 min was an independent risk factor of postoperative AKI. Furthermore, MAP <60 mmHg for >10 min was also an independent risk factor of postoperative AKI in patients whose MAP was measured invasively in the subgroup analysis. Conclusions: Our work suggested that MAP < 60 mmHg for >10 min measured invasively or 20 min measured non-invasively during non-cardiac surgery may be the threshold of postoperative AKI development in hypertension patients. This work may serve as a perioperative management guide for chronic hypertension patients. Trial registration: clinical trial number: ChiCTR2100050209 (8/22/2021). http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=132277.

Patterns of Gestational Hypertension or Preeclampsia Across 2 Pregnancies in Relationship to Chronic Hypertension Development: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Gestational hypertension (GHTN) and preeclampsia are established risk indicators for chronic hypertension. While recurrence is associated with a greater risk, it is unclear whether there are differences in risk when these gestational complications occur for the first time in an earlier pregnancy versus first occurrence in a subsequent one. We hypothesized that the absence of recurrence reflects a transition toward a lower hypertension risk trajectory, whereas a new occurrence in a later pregnancy indicates a transition toward elevated risk. METHODS AND RESULTS: We analyzed linked data in Quebec, Canada, from public health care insurance administrative databases and birth, stillbirth, and death registries. Our retrospective cohort study included mothers with 2 singleton deliveries between April 1990 and December 2012. The primary exposure was patterns of GHTN or preeclampsia across 2 pregnancies (GHTN/preeclampsia in neither, first only, second only, or both). The outcome was incident chronic hypertension. We performed an adjusted multivariable Cox regression analysis. Among 431 980 women with 2 singleton pregnancies, 27 755 developed hypertension during the follow-up period. Compared with those without GHTN/preeclampsia, those with GHTN/preeclampsia only in the first pregnancy had a 2.7-fold increase in hazards (95% CI, 2.6-2.8), those with GHTN/preeclampsia only in the second had a 4.9-fold increase (95% CI, 4.6-5.1), and those with GHTN/preeclampsia in both pregnancies experienced a 7.3-fold increase (95% CI, 6.9-7.6). Patterns and estimates were similar when we considered GHTN and preeclampsia separately. CONCLUSIONS: The magnitude of hypertension risk is associated with the number and sequence of GHTN/preeclampsia-affected pregnancies. Considering both allows more personalized risk estimates.

Association between gestational diabetes and cardiovascular disease within 24 months postpartum.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among women in the United States. It is well established that gestational diabetes mellitus is associated with an overall lifetime increased risk of cardiometabolic disease, even among those without intercurrent type 2 diabetes. However, the association between gestational diabetes mellitus and short-term risk of cardiovascular disease is unclear. Establishing short-term risks of cardiovascular disease for patients with gestational diabetes mellitus has significant potential to inform early screening and targeted intervention strategies to reduce premature cardiovascular morbidity among women. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the risk of cardiovascular disease diagnosis in the first 24 months postpartum between patients with and without gestational diabetes mellitus. STUDY DESIGN: Our longitudinal population-based study included pregnant individuals with deliveries from 2007 to 2019 in the Maine Health Data Organization's All Payer Claims Database. We excluded records with gestational age <20 weeks, non-Maine residence, multifetal gestation, no insurance in the month of delivery or the 3 months before pregnancy, an implausibly short interval until next pregnancy (<60 days), pregestational diabetes mellitus, and any prepregnancy diagnosis of the cardiovascular conditions being examined postpartum. Gestational diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease (heart failure, ischemic heart disease, arrhythmia/cardiac arrest, cardiomyopathy, cerebrovascular disease/stroke, and new chronic hypertension) were identified by International Classification of Diseases 9/10 diagnosis codes. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios, adjusting for potential confounding factors. We assessed whether the association between gestational diabetes mellitus and chronic hypertension was mediated by intercurrent diabetes mellitus. RESULTS: Among the 84,746 pregnancies examined, the cumulative risk of cardiovascular disease within 24 months postpartum for those with vs without gestational diabetes mellitus was 0.13% vs 0.20% for heart failure, 0.16% vs 0.14% for ischemic heart disease, 0.60% vs 0.44% for cerebrovascular disease/stroke, 0.22% vs 0.16% for arrhythmia/cardiac arrest, 0.20% vs 0.20% for cardiomyopathy, and 4.19% vs 1.83% for new chronic hypertension. After adjusting for potential confounders, those with gestational diabetes had an increased risk of new chronic hypertension (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.56; 95% confidence interval, 1.32-1.86) within the first 24 months postpartum compared with those without gestational diabetes. There was no association between gestational diabetes and ischemic heart disease (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.75; 95% confidence interval, 0.34-1.65), cerebrovascular disease/stroke (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.13; 95% confidence interval, 0.78-1.66), arrhythmia/cardiac arrest (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.16; 95% confidence interval, 0.59-2.29), or cardiomyopathy (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.75; 95% confidence interval, 0.40-1.41) within the first 24 months postpartum. Those with gestational diabetes appeared to have a decreased risk of heart failure within 24 months postpartum (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.45; 95% confidence interval, 0.21-0.98). Our mediation analyses estimated that 28% of the effect of gestational diabetes on new chronic hypertension was mediated through intercurrent diabetes mellitus. CONCLUSION: Patients with gestational diabetes mellitus have a significantly increased risk of new chronic hypertension as early as 24 months postpartum. Most of this effect was not due to the development of diabetes mellitus. Our findings suggest that all women with gestational diabetes need careful monitoring and screening for new chronic hypertension in the first 2 years postpartum.

Analysis of risk factors of preeclampsia in pregnant women with chronic hypertension and its impact on pregnancy outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the risk factors and maternal and fetal outcomes of preeclampsia after pregnancy in patients with primary chronic hypertension. METHODS: A total of 500 singleton pregnant women with a history of hypertension who were admitted for delivery at our Hospital from March 2015 to May 2022 were retrospectively collected by random sampling and divided into the non-occurrence group (n = 200) and the occurrence group (n = 300) according to whether they were complicated by preeclampsia. Afterward, the general data and the pregnancy-related data of patients were collected for comparison. RESULTS: The univariate analysis showed significant differences between the non-occurrence group and the occurrence group in terms of the proportion of preeclampsia history (4.00% VS 24.67%, χ2 = 37.383, P < 0.001), duration of hypertension > 3 years (18.00% VS 31.67%, χ2 = 11.592, P < 0.001), systemic therapy (20.50% VS 10.00%, χ2 = 10.859, P < 0.001), gestational age at admission [37.72 (34.10, 38.71) VS 35.01 (31.91, 37.42) weeks, Z = -9.825, P < 0.001]. Meanwhile, the multivariate analysis showed that a history of preeclampsia (OR = 6.796, 95% CI: 3.575 ∼ 10.134, χ2 = 8.234, P < 0.001), duration of hypertension > 3 years (OR = 3.456, 95% CI: 2.157 ∼ 5.161, χ2 = 9.348, P < 0.001), and a lack of systemic antihypertensive treatment (OR = 8.983, 95% CI: 7.735 ∼ 9.933, χ2 = 9.123, P < 0.001) were risk factors for chronic hypertension complicated by preeclampsia during pregnancy. CONCLUSION: A history of preeclampsia, a longer duration of hypertension, and a lack of systematic antihypertensive treatment are risk factors for chronic hypertension complicated by preeclampsia during pregnancy. The occurrence of preeclampsia in pregnant women with chronic hypertension increases the incidence of maternal HELLP syndrome and fetal distress.

Management of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in two Australian tertiary care maternity hospitals.

Background: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are common obstetric medical problems. Compliance with clinical guidelines and evidence from major trials has the potential to translate to significantly improve maternal and perinatal outcomes. The aims of this study were to prospectively review management of HDP in an Australian cohort in the context of the Society of Obstetric Medicine of Australian and New Zealand (SOMANZ) guidelines and current evidence in published literature regarding management controversies. Methods: The management of 100 pregnant women with HDP and prescription for antihypertensive medication at two tertiary obstetric centres was prospectively reviewed in 2013. Compliance with SOMANZ guidelines, uptake of findings from the HYPITAT trial and the Control of Hypertension In Pregnancy Study (CHIPS) trial were assessed. Results: Sixty-eight women had chronic hypertension, while 32 had gestational hypertension. Management of HDP was mostly consistent with current SOMANZ guidelines and evidence from CHIPS and HYPITAT. Conclusion: Clinicians were practising according to the current SOMANZ guidelines, indicating vigilance on behalf of the treating team.

Does Developing Interpregnancy Hypertension Affect the Recurrence Risk of Preeclampsia? A Population-Based Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia in a first pregnancy is a strong risk factor for preeclampsia in a second pregnancy. Whether chronic hypertension developed after a first pregnancy (interpregnancy hypertension) affects the recurrence risk of preeclampsia is unknown. METHODS: This is a population-based cohort study of 391,645 women with their first and second singleton births between 2006 and 2017. Exposure groups were women with preeclampsia in their first pregnancy, interpregnancy hypertension, or both risk factors. Women with neither risk factor were used as a reference group. We calculated the adjusted relative risk (aRR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for overall preeclampsia in the second pregnancy as well as preterm (<37 gestational weeks) and term (≥37 gestational weeks) subgroups of the disease. RESULTS: Women with preeclampsia in their first pregnancy who did or did not develop interpregnancy hypertension had rates of preeclampsia in their second pregnancy of 21.5% and 13.6%, respectively. In the same population, the corresponding rates of preterm preeclampsia were 5.5% and 2.6%, respectively. After adjusting for maternal factors, women with preeclampsia in their first pregnancy who developed interpregnancy hypertension and those who did not have almost the same risk of overall preeclampsia in their second pregnancy (aRRs with 95% CIs: 14.51; 11.77-17.89 and 12.83; 12.09-13.62, respectively). However, preeclampsia in the first pregnancy and interpregnancy hypertension had a synergistic interaction on the outcome of preterm preeclampsia (aRR with 95% CI 26.66; 17.44-40.80). CONCLUSIONS: Women with previous preeclampsia who developed interpregnancy hypertension had a very high rate of preterm preeclampsia in a second pregnancy, and the two risk factors had a synergistic interaction.

The Association of Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy with Infant Mortality, Preterm Delivery, and Small for Gestational Age.

Gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, eclampsia, and chronic hypertension (CHTN) are associated with adverse infant outcomes and disproportionately affect minoritized race/ethnicity groups. We evaluated the relationships between hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) and/or CHTN with infant mortality, preterm delivery (PTD), and small for gestational age (SGA) in a statewide cohort with a diverse racial/ethnic population. All live, singleton deliveries in South Carolina (2004-2016) to mothers aged 12-49 were evaluated for adverse outcomes: infant mortality, PTD (20 to less than <37 weeks) and SGA (<10th birthweight-for-gestational-age percentile). Logistic regression models adjusted for sociodemographic, behavioral, and clinical characteristics. In 666,905 deliveries, mothers had superimposed preeclampsia (HDP + CHTN; 1.0%), HDP alone (8.0%), CHTN alone (1.8%), or no hypertension (89.1%). Infant mortality risk was significantly higher in deliveries to women with superimposed preeclampsia, HDP, and CHTN compared with no hypertension (relative risk [RR] = 1.79, 1.39, and 1.48, respectively). After accounting for differing risk by race/ethnicity, deliveries to women with HDP and/or CHTN were more likely to result in PTD (RRs ranged from 3.14 to 5.25) or SGA (RRs ranged from 1.67 to 3.64). As CHTN, HDP and superimposed preeclampsia confer higher risk of adverse outcomes, prevention efforts should involve encouraging and supporting mothers in mitigating modifiable cardiovascular risk factors.

Physiologic blood pressure patterns in pregnancies with mild chronic hypertension.

OBJECTIVES: To assess physiologic blood pressure (BP) changes throughout pregnancy in patients with mild chronic hypertension (CHTN) who do and do not develop preeclampsia (PEC), compared to patients with normal BP. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort of singleton gestations with CHTN at a single tertiary center from 2000 to 2014 and a randomly selected cohort of patients without CHTN and normal pregnancy outcomes (NML) in the same time period with BP measurements available <12 weeks gestational age. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was gestational age (GA) at nadir of systolic and diastolic BP. Secondary outcomes included perinatal death, umbilical cord pH, maternal and neonatal length of stay, GA at delivery, and mode of delivery. Quadratic mixed models were used to estimate SBP and DBP throughout gestation. RESULTS: Of 367 pregnancies with CHTN, 268 (73%) had CHTN without PEC and 99 (27%) had CHTN with PEC; 198 NML pregnancies were used as a comparison group. The median GA nadir for patients in the NML, CHTN without PEC, and CHTN with PEC for SBP were 20, 24, and 21, respectively. For DBP, the median GA nadir were 22, 24, and 21 for patients in the NML, CHTN without PEC, and CHTN with PEC cohorts, respectively. Adverse secondary outcomes were more frequent in patients with CHTN who developed PEC. CONCLUSIONS: BP trajectories in pregnancy are different between patients with CHTN with PEC, CHTN without PEC, and patients with normal BP. These findings may be useful in assessing patients' risks for developing preeclampsia during pregnancy.

Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy.

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), women who have a systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mm Hg and/or a diastolic pressure ≥ 90 mm Hg before pregnancy or before 20 weeks of gestation have chronic hypertension. Up to 1.5% of women in their childbearing years have a diagnosis of chronic hypertension, and 16% of pregnant women develop hypertension during their pregnancy. Physiological cardiovascular changes from pregnancy may mask or exacerbate hypertensive diseases during gestation, which is why prepregnancy counseling is emphasized for all patients to optimize comorbidities and establish a patient's baseline blood pressure. This review provides an overview of the diagnoses and treatments of hypertensive diseases that can occur in pregnancy, including definitions of key terms and types of hypertension as well as ACOG recommendations.

Preterm birth increases cerebral palsy hazards in children of mothers with chronic hypertension in pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Children of mothers with chronic-hypertension in pregnancy have high rates of preterm-birth (<37 weeks of gestation) and small-for-gestational-age (SGA), both of which are risk factors of cerebral palsy (CP). This study investigated the cumulative risks of CP in children exposed to maternal chronic-hypertension vs. other types of hypertensive-disorders-of-pregnancy (HDP), and whether preterm-birth and SGA potentiate the antenatal impact of chronic-hypertension to increase CP hazards. METHODS: This population-based cohort study enrolled 1,417,373 mother-child pairs with singleton live births between 2004 and 2011 from the Taiwan Maternal and Child Health Database. A total of 19,457 pairs with HDP were identified and propensity-score-matched with 97,285 normotensive controls. Children were followed up for CP outcome until age 6-13 years. HDP were classified into chronic-hypertension, gestational-hypertension, preeclampsia, and preeclampsia-with-chronic-hypertension. Using the normotensive group as the reference, the associations between chronic-hypertension and CP hazard were assessed with adjusted hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) in Cox proportional hazards regression models, and the effects of preterm-birth and SGA on the associations were examined. RESULTS: The HDP group had higher rates of CP (0.8%) than the normotensive group (0.5%), particularly the subgroup of preeclampsia-with-chronic-hypertension (1.0%), followed by preeclampsia (0.9%), chronic-hypertension (0.7%) and gestational-hypertension (0.6%). Preterm-birth, but not SGA, exerted moderating effects to increase CP risks in children exposed to maternal chronic-hypertension. Before adjustments, chronic-hypertension alone had no substantial contribution to CP hazard (HR 1.35, 95% CI 1.00-1.83), while preeclampsia alone (1.64, 1.28-2.11) or with superimposed-chronic-hypertension (1.83, 1.16-2.89) had significant effects. After including preterm-birth in the multivariable model, the CP hazard for chronic-hypertension alone rather than other types of HDP was raised and became significant (1.56, 1.15-2.12), and the significance remained after stepwise adjustments in the final model (1.74, 1.16-2.60). CONCLUSIONS: Preterm-birth might potentiate CP hazards in children of mothers with chronic-hypertension in pregnancy.

Chronic Hypertension in Pregnancy and Placenta-Mediated Complications Regardless of Preeclampsia.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of chronic hypertension in women of reproductive age is on the rise mainly due to delayed childbearing. Maternal chronic hypertension, prevailing prior to conception or manifesting within the early gestational period, poses a substantial risk for the development of preeclampsia with adverse maternal and fetal outcomes, specifically as a result of placental dysfunction. We aimed to investigate whether chronic hypertension is associated with placenta-mediated complications regardless of the development of preeclampsia in pregnancy. METHODS: This was a population-based, retrospective cohort study from 'Soroka' university medical center (SUMC) in Israel, of women who gave birth between 1991 and 2021, comparing placenta-mediated complications (including fetal growth restriction (FGR), placental abruption, preterm delivery, and perinatal mortality) in women with and without chronic hypertension. Generalized estimating equation (GEE) models were used for each outcome to control for possible confounding factors. RESULTS: A total of 356,356 deliveries met the study's inclusion criteria. Of them, 3949 (1.1%) deliveries were of mothers with chronic hypertension. Women with chronic hypertension had significantly higher rates of all placenta-mediated complications investigated in this study. The GEE models adjusting for preeclampsia and other confounding factors affirmed that chronic hypertension is independently associated with all the studied placental complications except placental abruption. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic hypertension in pregnancy is associated with placenta-mediated complications, regardless of preeclampsia. Therefore, early diagnosis of chronic hypertension is warranted in order to provide adequate pregnancy follow-up and close monitoring for placental complications, especially in an era of advanced maternal age.

Maternal chronic hypertension in women veterans.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence of maternal chronic hypertension (MCH), assess how frequently blood pressure is controlled before pregnancy among those with MCH, and explore management practices for antihypertensive medications (AHM) during the pre-pregnancy and pregnancy periods. DATA SOURCES, STUDY SETTING, AND STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a descriptive observational study using data abstracted from the Veterans Health Administration (VA) inclusive of approximately 11 million Veterans utilizing the VA in fiscal years 2010-2019. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS: Veterans aged 18-50 were included if they had a diagnosis of chronic hypertension before a documented pregnancy in the VA EMR. We identified chronic hypertension and pregnancy with diagnosis codes and defined uncontrolled blood pressure as ≥140/90 mm Hg on at least one measurement in the year before pregnancy. Sensitivity models were conducted for individuals with at least two blood pressure measurements in the year prior to pregnancy. Multivariable logistic regression explored the association of covariates with recommended and non-recommended AHMs received 0-6 months before pregnancy and during pregnancy. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In total, 8% (3767/46,178) of Veterans with a documented pregnancy in VA data had MCH. Among 2750 with MCH meeting inclusion criteria, 60% (n = 1626) had uncontrolled blood pressure on at least one BP reading and 31% (n = 846) had uncontrolled blood pressure on at least two BP readings in the year before pregnancy. For medications, 16% (n = 437) received a non-recommended AHM during pregnancy. Chronic kidney disease (OR = 3.2; 1.6-6.4) and diabetes (OR = 2.3; 1.7-3.0) were most strongly associated with use of a non-recommended AHM during pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions are needed to decrease the prevalence of MCH, improve preconception blood pressure control, and ensure optimal pharmacologic antihypertensive management among Veterans of childbearing potential.

The Combined Influence of Maternal Medical Conditions on the Risk of Primary Cesarean Delivery.

Background Common maternal medical comorbidities such as hypertensive disorders, diabetes, tobacco use, and extremes of maternal age, body mass index, and gestational weight gain are known individually to influence the rate of cesarean delivery. Numerous studies have estimated the risk of individual conditions on cesarean delivery. Objective To examine the risk for primary cesarean delivery in women with multiple maternal medical comorbidities to determine the cumulative risk they pose on mode of delivery. Study Design In this population-based retrospective cohort study, we analyzed data from Ohio live birth records from 2006 to 2015 to estimate the influence of individual and combinations of maternal comorbidities on rates of singleton primary cesarean delivery. The exposures were individual and combinations of maternal medical conditions (chronic hypertension [CHTN], gestational hypertension, pregestational diabetes, gestational diabetes, tobacco use, advanced maternal age, and maternal obesity) and outcomes were rates and adjusted relative risk (aRR) of primary cesarean delivery. Results There were 1,463,506 live births in Ohio during the study period, of which 882,423 (60.3%) had one or more maternal medical condition, and of those 243,112 (27.6%) had primary cesarean delivery. The range of rates and aRR range of primary cesarean delivery were 13.9 to 29.3% (aRR 0.78-1.68) in singleton pregnancies with a single medical condition, and this increased to 21.9 to 48.6% (aRR 1.34-3.87) in pregnancies complicated by multiple medical comorbidities. The highest risk for primary cesarean occurred in advanced maternal age, obese women with pregestational diabetes, and CHTN. Conclusion A greater number of maternal medical comorbidities during pregnancy is associated with increasing cumulative risk of primary cesarean delivery. These data may be useful in counseling patients on risk of cesarean during pregnancy.

Angiotensin II-mediated hippocampal hypoperfusion and vascular dysfunction contribute to vascular cognitive impairment in aged hypertensive rats.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic hypertension increases the risk of vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) by ∼60%; however, how hypertension affects the vasculature of the hippocampus remains unclear but could contribute to VCI. METHODS: Memory, hippocampal perfusion, and hippocampal arteriole (HA) function were investigated in male Wistar rats or spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) in early (4 to 5 months old), mid (8 to 9 months old), or late adulthood (14 to 15 months old). SHR in late adulthood were chronically treated with captopril (angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor) or apocynin (antioxidant) to investigate the mechanisms by which hypertension contributes to VCI. RESULTS: Impaired memory in SHR in late adulthood was associated with HA endothelial dysfunction, hyperconstriction, and ∼50% reduction in hippocampal blood flow. Captopril, but not apocynin, improved HA function, restored perfusion, and rescued memory function in aged SHR. DISCUSSION: Hippocampal vascular dysfunction contributes to hypertension-induced memory decline through angiotensin II signaling, highlighting the therapeutic potential of HAs in protecting neurocognitive health later in life. HIGHLIGHTS: Vascular dysfunction in the hippocampus contributes to vascular cognitive impairment. Memory declines with age during chronic hypertension. Angiotensin II causes endothelial dysfunction in the hippocampus in hypertension. Angiotensin II-mediated hippocampal arteriole dysfunction reduces blood flow. Vascular dysfunction in the hippocampus impairs perfusion and memory function.