Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Cardiovascular effects of severe late-onset preeclampsia are reversed within six months postpartum

Kalapotharakos, Grigorios LU ; Salehi, Daniel LU ; Steding-Ehrenborg, Katarina LU ; Andersson, Maria LU ; Arheden, Håkan LU ; Hansson, Stefan R LU orcid and Hedström, Erik LU orcid (2020) In Pregnancy Hypertension 19. p.18-24
Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Preeclampsia (PE) is a common pregnancy-related disorder associated with cardiovascular long-term disease. Eighty percent are late-onset PE, occurring after 34 gestational weeks, and can present with severe symptoms. Magnitude and reversibility rate of maternal cardiovascular changes after severe late-onset PE have not been characterized. This study therefore evaluated longitudinal dynamics of maternal cardiovascular changes after severe late-onset PE.

STUDY DESIGN: Six previously normotensive women with severe late-onset PE and eight pregnant controls were included. Severe PE was defined as systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥ 160 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ≥ 110 mmHg and proteinuria with/without evidence of... (More)

OBJECTIVES: Preeclampsia (PE) is a common pregnancy-related disorder associated with cardiovascular long-term disease. Eighty percent are late-onset PE, occurring after 34 gestational weeks, and can present with severe symptoms. Magnitude and reversibility rate of maternal cardiovascular changes after severe late-onset PE have not been characterized. This study therefore evaluated longitudinal dynamics of maternal cardiovascular changes after severe late-onset PE.

STUDY DESIGN: Six previously normotensive women with severe late-onset PE and eight pregnant controls were included. Severe PE was defined as systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥ 160 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ≥ 110 mmHg and proteinuria with/without evidence of end-organ dysfunction, or SBP ≥ 140 mmHg or DBP ≥ 90 mmHg with/without proteinuria and with evidence of end-organ dysfunction. Cardiovascular function was assessed by magnetic resonance imaging at 1-3 days, one week and six months postpartum.

RESULTS: Left ventricular mass at 1-3 days postpartum was higher after severe late-onset PE (57 g/m2) compared to after normal pregnancy (48 g/m2; p = 0.01). Pulse wave velocity (PWV) decreased between 1 and 3 days and six months postpartum after PE (6.1 to 5.0 m/s; p = 0.028). There was no difference in PWV 1-3 days postpartum after severe PE compared after normal pregnancy (6.1 versus 5.6 m/s; p = 0.175). Blood pressure normalized within six months in all but one patient.

CONCLUSIONS: Cardiac effects after severe late-onset PE were small and transient. This indicates that left ventricular hypertrophy after severe late-onset PE may be a secondary physiologic response to increased peripheral resistance in PE. Vascular mechanisms rather than persistent cardiac hypertrophy postpartum may be the culprit for increased long-term cardiovascular risk after PE.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Pregnancy Hypertension
volume
19
pages
18 - 24
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85076757226
  • pmid:31864208
ISSN
2210-7797
DOI
10.1016/j.preghy.2019.12.005
project
Fetal and maternal cardiovascular physiology in complicated pregnancy
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Copyright © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
id
0be65d4c-3e99-41e9-92ee-2af6099cd79d
date added to LUP
2019-12-23 08:23:52
date last changed
2024-04-02 23:15:48
@article{0be65d4c-3e99-41e9-92ee-2af6099cd79d,
  abstract     = {{<p>OBJECTIVES: Preeclampsia (PE) is a common pregnancy-related disorder associated with cardiovascular long-term disease. Eighty percent are late-onset PE, occurring after 34 gestational weeks, and can present with severe symptoms. Magnitude and reversibility rate of maternal cardiovascular changes after severe late-onset PE have not been characterized. This study therefore evaluated longitudinal dynamics of maternal cardiovascular changes after severe late-onset PE.</p><p>STUDY DESIGN: Six previously normotensive women with severe late-onset PE and eight pregnant controls were included. Severe PE was defined as systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥ 160 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ≥ 110 mmHg and proteinuria with/without evidence of end-organ dysfunction, or SBP ≥ 140 mmHg or DBP ≥ 90 mmHg with/without proteinuria and with evidence of end-organ dysfunction. Cardiovascular function was assessed by magnetic resonance imaging at 1-3 days, one week and six months postpartum.</p><p>RESULTS: Left ventricular mass at 1-3 days postpartum was higher after severe late-onset PE (57 g/m2) compared to after normal pregnancy (48 g/m2; p = 0.01). Pulse wave velocity (PWV) decreased between 1 and 3 days and six months postpartum after PE (6.1 to 5.0 m/s; p = 0.028). There was no difference in PWV 1-3 days postpartum after severe PE compared after normal pregnancy (6.1 versus 5.6 m/s; p = 0.175). Blood pressure normalized within six months in all but one patient.</p><p>CONCLUSIONS: Cardiac effects after severe late-onset PE were small and transient. This indicates that left ventricular hypertrophy after severe late-onset PE may be a secondary physiologic response to increased peripheral resistance in PE. Vascular mechanisms rather than persistent cardiac hypertrophy postpartum may be the culprit for increased long-term cardiovascular risk after PE.</p>}},
  author       = {{Kalapotharakos, Grigorios and Salehi, Daniel and Steding-Ehrenborg, Katarina and Andersson, Maria and Arheden, Håkan and Hansson, Stefan R and Hedström, Erik}},
  issn         = {{2210-7797}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{18--24}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Pregnancy Hypertension}},
  title        = {{Cardiovascular effects of severe late-onset preeclampsia are reversed within six months postpartum}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.preghy.2019.12.005}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.preghy.2019.12.005}},
  volume       = {{19}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}