The Outcomes of Hypertension in Obese Versus Non-obese Pregnant Women

Overview

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, include pre-existing and gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and eclampsia, it complicates up to 10% of pregnancies and represents a significant cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Following the "National High Blood Pressure Education Program Working Group on High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy" recommendation is currently a systolic blood pressure (SBP) ⩾ of 140 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ⩾ of 90 mmHg. The diagnosis generally requires two separate measurements. Accepted across international guidelines are the following four categories: Chronic/pre-existing hypertension (Hypertension discovered preconception or prior to 20 weeks gestation), Gestational hypertension (Hypertension that appears de novo after 20 weeks gestation and normalizes after pregnancy), Preeclampsia-eclampsia (De novo hypertension after 20 weeks' gestation accompanied by proteinuria, other features of maternal organ dysfunction or uteroplacental dysfunction), Chronic/pre-existing hypertension with superimposed preeclampsia-eclampsia. Over the past 2 decades, extensive epidemiologic studies have clearly established that obesity is a major risk for gestational hypertension and preeclampsia. The risk of preeclampsia typically doubles with each 5-7 kg/m2 increase in pre-pregnancy. The mechanisms have only been partially explored; increased cytokine-mediated inflammation and oxidative stress, increased shear stress, dyslipidemia, and increased sympathetic activity1 have all been proposed as possible pathways. Few studies have examined the relationship between pre-pregnancy BMI, gestational weight gain (GWG), and the risk of preeclampsia. So, our study aims to evaluate the adverse maternal and fetal outcomes related to hypertension in obese and non-obese pregnant women.