This is a phase-III multi-center open-label randomized clinical trial of 4,120 individuals between 23 weeks, 0 days and 35 weeks, 6 days gestation with gestational hypertension or preeclampsia without severe features randomized to antihypertensive medication to a target blood pressure (BP) of \<140/90 mmHg or to no treatment for non-severe hypertension \< 160/110 mmHg (usual care). The primary endpoint is an adverse pregnancy composite comprised of preeclampsia with end-organ damage, medically indicated preterm delivery \<37 weeks 0 days gestation, fetal/neonatal/infant death, or placental abruption.
All women with a diagnosis of gestational hypertension or preeclampsia without severe features at an Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network (MFMU) Center outpatient or inpatient setting who are less than 36 weeks and 0 days of gestation will be screened for eligibility and approached for enrollment by the MFMU Research Team. Women who meet study eligibility and want to participate will provide written informed consent. Study participants will be randomized 1:1 to: 1. intervention: antihypertensive medication to achieve a target blood pressure (BP) lower than 140/90 mmHg or 2. usual care: defined as no antihypertensive medication unless BP increases to greater than or equal to 160 mmHg systolic pressure or 110 mmHg diastolic to achieve a target BP of less than 160/110 mmHg. Participants randomized to intervention will be initiated on labetalol or nifedipine extended release (ER). For first line treatment with labetalol, 200 mg twice daily will be initiated and escalated according to institutional protocol to a BP goal of \<140/90 to a maximum dose of 2,400 mg/day (1,200 mg twice daily or 800 mg three time daily). Alternatively, for first line treatment with nifedipine ER, nifedipine ER will be initiated at 30 mg daily and escalated according to institutional protocol to a goal BP \<140/90 to a maximum dose of 120 mg/day (120 mg daily or 60 mg twice daily). Participants will be seen clinically at least weekly until delivery. All participants will have an encounter with research staff twice a week from randomization until delivery. Each encounter (twice a week) should include the following: * Maternal symptom assessment including evaluation for new headaches, changes in vision, abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding, and/or decreased fetal movement * Side effects and adverse events assessment At least one per week, research staff should perform the following: * Record and review all clinic blood pressures and laboratory evaluations * Record changes to antihypertensive medications * Record unscheduled emergency room (ER) visits, Labor and Delivery (L\&D) visits or hospitalizations * For participants in the intervention group, research staff should confirm their prescription for study medication will ensure an adequate supply until their next visit, and assess compliance. One to two weeks after randomization, the participant should complete the Medical Outcomes Study Questionnaire Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) to assess quality of life. Fetal surveillance (e.g., biophysical profile, or non-stress test with or without amniotic fluid assessment) should be performed clinically at least weekly per local standard of care. Ultrasonographic fetal growth assessment should be performed clinically at least every 4 weeks to assess fetal growth. If fetal growth restriction is identified, increased surveillance with umbilical artery Dopplers will be initiated per institutional protocol. Maternal and neonatal outcomes will be abstracted from the medical records following the delivery hospitalization. Newborn assessment will include the duration of hospitalization up to 6 weeks of life. A single maternal follow-up study visit at 6 weeks (range 4-8) weeks postpartum will be scheduled to ascertain maternal, neonatal, and resource use outcomes.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
4,120
Antihypertensive medication titrated to a BP goal of \< 140/90 mmHg initiated on labetalol or nifedipine ER following standard dosing guidelines. For first line treatment with labetalol, 200 mg twice daily will be initiated and escalated to a BP goal of \<140/90 mmHg to a maximum dose of 2,400 mg/day (1,200 mg twice daily or 800 mg three times daily). If a maximum daily dose of 2,400 mg or maximal tolerated dose of labetalol is reached without achieving goal BP \<140/90 mmHg, or at provider discretion, nifedipine ER can be added as a second agent and titrated as per the nifedipine ER algorithm outlined below. For first line treatment with nifedipine ER, dosing will be initiated at 30 mg daily and escalated to a goal BP \<140/90 mmHg to a maximum dose of 120 mg/day (120 mg daily or 60 mg twice daily). If the maximum daily dose or maximal tolerated dose of nifedipine ER is reached without achieving goal BP \<140/90, or at provider discretion, labetalol can be added as described above.
Usual care will not receive anti-hypertensive medication upon randomization. Participants will only be prescribed antihypertensive medication if their BP increases to ≥160/110 mmHg and titrated to a BP goal of \<160/110 mmHg. They will receive IV and/or oral anti-hypertensive medication as per local institutional protocols for management of severe range BP.
University of Alabama - Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama, United States
Regents of the University of California San Francisco
San Francisco, California, United States
Northwestern University
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Columbia University
New York, New York, United States
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina, United States
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Ohio State University
Columbus, Ohio, United States
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Magee Women's Hospital
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
...and 4 more locations
Number of participants with the adverse pregnancy composite
Number of participants with preeclampsia with severe features (excluding severe hypertension), medically indicated preterm birth less than 37 weeks 0 days, fetal or neonatal death, placental abruption.
Time frame: Randomization to 6 weeks postpartum / 6 weeks of life (a period of up to 23 weeks)
Number of participants with the adverse perinatal composite outcome
Adverse perinatal composite defined as any one of the following: respiratory distress syndrome, 5-minute Apgar score less than or equal to 3, seizure, confirmed sepsis, Intraventricular hemorrhage (Grade 3-4), Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (Grade 3 or higher), necrotizing enterocolitis (Bell Stage greater than or equal to 2A), treated hyperbilirubinemia, treated hypoglycemia, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, fetal/neonatal/infant death
Time frame: Randomization to 6 weeks of life (a period of up to 23 weeks)
Number of participants with preeclampsia with severe features
Number of participants with preeclampsia with severe features defined using American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists 2020 criteria through 6 weeks postpartum.
Time frame: Randomization to 6 weeks postpartum (a period of up to 23 weeks)
Number of perinatal deaths
Number of fetal or neonatal deaths through 28 days of life
Time frame: Randomization to 28 days of life (a period of up to 147 days)
Number of neonates who were small for gestational age <3rd percentile
Number of neonates who were small for gestational age (SGA) defined as a birth weight \<3rd and \<10th percentile for gestational age as defined by Aris et al.
Time frame: At birth
Number of neonates who were small for gestational age <10th percentile for gestational age
Number of neonates who were small for gestational age (SGA) defined as a birth weight \<10th percentile for gestational age as defined by Aris et al.
Time frame: At birth
Number of neonates with low birth weight
Number of neonates with birth weight \<2,500g
Time frame: At birth
Number of participants with preterm births
Number of participants with delivery of a fetus at less than 37 weeks for any reason or indication, includes spontaneous and iatrogenic preterm birth
Time frame: From randomization to birth (a period of up to 14 weeks)
Number of participants with spontaneous preterm birth
Spontaneous delivery at less than 37 weeks 0 days gestation
Time frame: From randomization to birth (a period of up to 14 weeks)
Number of participants with severe hypertension
Number of participants with systolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 160 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 110 mmHg confirmed by at least one repeated measure within 4 hours unless antihypertensive medication was already initiated.
Time frame: Randomization to 6 weeks postpartum (a period of up to 23 weeks)
Number of participants with cesarean delivery
Number of participants who had delivery of a fetus via an abdominal incision and hysterotomy
Time frame: At delivery
Number of participants with postpartum hemorrhage
Number of participants with cumulative blood loss ≥ 1,000mL or any blood loss accompanied by signs or symptoms of hypovolemia within 24 hours after delivery, regardless of delivery route
Time frame: Randomization to 6 weeks postpartum (a period of up to 23 weeks)
Number of maternal deaths
Death of the mother for any reason through 6 weeks postpartum
Time frame: Randomization to 6 weeks postpartum (a period of up to 23 weeks)
Number of antepartum and postpartum clinic visits
The number of antepartum and postpartum clinic visits (scheduled and unscheduled)
Time frame: Randomization to 6 weeks postpartum (a period of up to 23 weeks)
Number of Obstetric (OB) Triage / Emergency Room (ER) visits
The number of times the participant sought care in the obstetric triage or emergency department through 6 weeks postpartum
Time frame: Randomization to 6 weeks postpartum (a period of up to 23 weeks)
Number of postnatal hospitalization days
The number of days the participant was admitted to the hospital from delivery to discharge
Time frame: From delivery to hospital discharge (no maximum time frame)
Number of postpartum readmissions
The number of times a participant is admitted to the hospital after she is discharged from the delivery-associated hospitalization through 6 weeks postpartum
Time frame: From discharge from the delivery-associated hospitalization through 6 weeks postpartum (a period of up to 23 weeks)
Number of antepartum hospitalization days
The number of days the participant was admitted to the hospital from randomization to delivery
Time frame: Randomization to delivery (a period of up to 17 weeks)
Number of participants admitted to intensive care unit (ICU)
Admission of the mother to an intensive care unit (ICU) through 6 weeks postpartum
Time frame: Randomization to 6 weeks postpartum (a period of up to 23 weeks)
Number of neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)
Admission of the neonate to an intensive care unit admission greater than or equal to 2 days through 6 weeks of life
Time frame: Birth to 6 weeks of life
Neonatal length of hospital stay
Number of days from delivery to discharge
Time frame: Birth to hospital discharge (no maximum timeframe)
Number of neonatal hospital readmissions
Number of times the neonate is admitted to the hospital from discharge to 6 weeks of life
Time frame: Hospital discharge to 6 weeks of life
Number of neonatal clinic visits
Number of neonatal clinic visits
Time frame: Hospital discharge to 6 weeks of life
Number of neonatal emergency room (ER) visits
Number of neonatal emergency room (ER) visits
Time frame: Hospital discharge to 6 weeks of life
Roja Kambhampati, MSHS
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